Gold nanocluster-based vaccines for dual-delivery of antigens and immunostimulatory oligonucleotides

Nanoscale. 2015 Aug 7;7(29):12419-26. doi: 10.1039/c5nr02240a. Epub 2015 Jul 1.

Abstract

We here report a facile one-pot synthesis of fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) via the peptide biomineralization method, which can elicit specific immunological responses. The as-prepared peptide-protected AuNCs (peptide-AuNCs) display strong red fluorescence, and more importantly, as compared to the peptide alone, the immune stimulatory ability of the resulting peptide-AuNCs can not only be retained, but can also be efficaciously enhanced. Moreover, through a dual-delivery of antigen peptides and cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), the as-prepared peptide-AuNC-CpG conjugates can also act as smart self-vaccines to assist in the generation of high immunostimulatory activity, and be applied as a probe for intracellular imaging. Both in vitro and in vivo studies provide strong evidence that the AuNC-based vaccines may be utilized as safe and efficient immunostimulatory agents that are able to prevent and/or treat a variety of ailments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Animals
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cytosine / chemistry
  • Female
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Guanine / chemistry
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / chemistry
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Phosphates / chemistry
  • Vaccines / immunology*
  • Vaccines / toxicity

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Peptides
  • Phosphates
  • Vaccines
  • Guanine
  • Gold
  • Cytosine