Evaluation of protective efficacy using a nonstructural protein NS1 in DNA vaccine–loaded microspheres against dengue 2 virus

Dengue virus results in dengue fever or severe dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome in humans. The purpose of this work was to develop an effective antidengue virus delivery system, by designing poly (dl-lactic-co-glycolic) acid/polyethylene glycol (PLGA/PEG) microspheres using a double-emulsion solvent extraction method, for vaccination therapy based on locally and continuously sustained biological activity. Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine-loaded PLGA/PEG microspheres exhibited a high loading capacity (4.5% w/w), yield (85.2%), and entrapment efficiency (39%), the mean particle size 4.8 μm, and a controlled in vitro release profile with a low initial burst (18.5%), lag time (4 days), and continued released protein over 70 days. The distribution of protein on the microspheres surface, outer layer, and core were 3.0%, 28.5%, and 60.7%, respectively. A release rate was noticed to be 1.07 μg protein/mg microspheres/day of protein release, maintained for 42 days. The cumulative release amount at Days 1, 28, and 42 was 18.5, 53.7, and 62.66 μg protein/mg microspheres, respectively. The dengue virus challenge in mice test, in which mice received one dose of 20 μg NS1 protein content of microspheres, in comparison with NS1 protein in Al(OH)3 or PBS solution, was evaluated after intramuscular immunization of BALB/c mice. The study results show that the greatest survival was observed in the group of mice immunized with NS1 protein-loaded PLGA/PEG microspheres (100%). In vivo vaccination studies also demonstrated that NS1 protein-loaded PLGA/PEG microspheres had a protective ability; its steady-state immune protection in rat plasma changed from 4,443 ± 1,384 pg/mL to 10,697 ± 3,197 pg/mL, which was 2.5-fold higher than that observed for dengue virus in Al(OH)3 at 21 days. These findings strongly suggest that NS1 protein-loaded PLGA/PEG microspheres offer a new therapeutic strategy in optimizing the vaccine incorporation and delivery properties of these potential vaccine targeting carriers.