Here we introduce a new approach for transcutaneous drug delivery, using microneedles coated with stabilized lipid nanocapsules, for delivery of a model vaccine formulation. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microneedle arrays were coated with multilayer films via layer-by-layer assembly of a biodegradable cationic poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) and negatively charged interbilayer-cross-linked multilamell...

The bacterial ghost system is a novel vaccine delivery system unusual in that it combines excellent natural intrinsic adjuvant properties with versatile carrier functions for foreign antigens. The efficient tropism of bacterial ghosts (BG) for antigen presenting cells promotes the generation of both cellular and humoral responses to heterologous antigens and carrier envelope structures. The sim...

Immunomodulatory drugs are of great relevance in the context vaccine delivery and cancer immunotherapy. Due to ubiquitous presence immune cells throughout body, gaining control over biodistribution activity such is crucial limit off-target inflammatory responses. Here, authors report on lipid-PEG (polyethylene glycol) amphiphiles as well-defined amphiphilic carries for lymph node targeted deliv...

Dendritic cell (DC) targeting is a novel strategy to enhance vaccination efficacy. This approach is based on the in situ delivery of antigen via antibodies that are specific for endocytic receptors expressed at the surface of DCs. Here we review the complexity of the DC subsets and the antigen presentation pathways that need to be considered in the settings of DC targeting. We also summarize cu...

Peptides displayed on the surface of filamentous bacteriophage fd are able to induce humoral as well as cell-mediated immune responses, which makes phage particles an attractive antigen delivery system to design new vaccines. The immune response induced by phage-displayed peptides can be enhanced by targeting phage particles to the professional antigen presenting cells, utilizing a single-chain...

To target chronic inflammatory ocular surface diseases, a drug delivery platform is needed that is safe, possesses immunomodulatory properties, and can be used either for drug delivery, or as a foreign antigen carrier. A new therapeutic approach that we have previously proposed uses nonliving bacterial ghosts (BGs) as a carrier-delivery system which can be engineered to carry foreign antigens a...

Type III protein secretion systems are being considered for vaccine development as virtually any protein antigen can be engineered for delivery by these nanomachines into the class I antigen presentation pathway to stimulate antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells. A limitation in the use of this system is that it requires live virulence-attenuated bacteria, which may preclude its use in certain popula...

  During last two decades, polysaccharides such as alginate (Alg) alone and in combination with other biopolymers are widely used in vaccine and drug delivery systems. The aim of the present work was to investigate the potential utility of microparticles made of alginate (Alg) as new vehicles for improving nasal vaccine delivery. For this purpose, diphtheria toxoid (DT) was chosen as a model an...

Due to their unusual properties, carbon nanotubes have been extensively employed in electronics, nanotechnology and optics, amongst other. More recently, they have also been used as vehicles for drug and antigen delivery, the latter being a novel immunization strategy against infectious diseases and cancer. Here we discuss the potential of carbon nanotubes as an antigen delivery tool and sugges...