Exploiting the pliability and lateral mobility of Pickering emulsion for enhanced vaccination

• Published in: Nature materials Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 187 - 194
• Main Authors: Xia, Yufei, Wu, Jie, Wei, Wei, Du, Yiqun, Wan, Tao, Ma, Xiaowei, An, Wenqi, Guo, Aiying, Miao, Chunyu, Yue, Hua, Li, Shuoguo, Cao, Xuetao, Su, Zhiguo, Ma, Guanghui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.02.2018; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 140/125; 639/166/985; Adaptive Immunity; Adjuvants, Immunologic - chemistry; Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Animals; Antigen-Presenting Cells - cytology; Antigen-Presenting Cells - immunology; Antigens; Antigens - chemistry; Antigens - pharmacology; Biomaterials; Biosafety; Cell Survival - drug effects; Condensed Matter Physics; Deformation; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug Carriers - pharmacology; Emulsions; Flexibility; Formability; Formulations; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity; Materials Science; Mice; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Surface-Active Agents - chemistry; Surface-Active Agents - pharmacology; T cell receptors
• ISSN: 1476-1122; 1476-4660
• DOI: 10.1038/nmat5057

A major challenge in vaccine formulations is the stimulation of both the humoral and cellular immune response for well-defined antigens with high efficacy and safety. Adjuvant research has focused on developing particulate carriers to model the sizes, shapes and compositions of microbes or diseased cells, but not antigen fluidity and pliability. Here, we develop Pickering emulsions—that is, particle-stabilized emulsions that retain the force-dependent deformability and lateral mobility of presented antigens while displaying high biosafety and antigen-loading capabilities. Compared with solid particles and conventional surfactant-stabilized emulsions, the optimized Pickering emulsions enhance the recruitment, antigen uptake and activation of antigen-presenting cells, potently stimulating both humoral and cellular adaptive responses, and thus increasing the survival of mice upon lethal challenge. The pliability and lateral mobility of antigen-loaded Pickering emulsions may provide a facile, effective, safe and broadly applicable strategy to enhance adaptive immunity against infections and diseases. Antigen pliability and lateral mobility in a Pickering emulsion adjuvant may be a safe and effective strategy to enhance adaptive immunity.