Ferritin protein cage nanoparticles as versatile antigen delivery nanoplatforms for dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccine development

Abstract

We utilized ferritin protein cage nanoparticles (FPCN) as antigen delivery nanoplatforms for DC-based vaccine development and investigated DC-mediated antigen-specific immune responses. Antigenic peptides, OT-1 (SIINFEKL) or OT-2 (ISQAVHAAHAEINEAGR) which are derived from ovalbumin, were genetically introduced either onto the exterior surface or into the interior cavity of FPCN. FPCN carrying antigenic peptides (OT-1-FPCN and OT-2-FPCN) were effectively delivered to DCs and processed within endosomes. Delivered antigenic peptides, OT-1 or OT-2, to DCs successfully induced antigen-specific CD8+ or CD4+ T cell proliferations both in vitro and in vivo. Naïve mice immunized with OT-1-FPCN efficiently differentiated OT-1 specific CD8+ T cells into functional effector cytotoxic T cells resulting in selective killing of antigen-specific target cells. Effective differentiation of proliferated OT-2 specific CD4+ T cells into functional CD4+ Th1 and Th2 cells was confirmed with the productions of IFN-γ/IL-2 and IL-10/IL-13 cytokines, respectively.