Immersion vaccination is considered as the most effective method for juvenile fish in preventing viral disease, due to its convenience for mass vaccination and stress-free administration. However, immune responses following immersion vaccination are generally less robust and of shorter duration than those induced through intraperitoneal injection. Herein, to improve the efficacy of the immersion vaccine, we constructed a targeted single-walled carbon nanotubes-based immersion vaccine delivery system (CNTs-M-VP7), the surface of which are modified with mannose to allow antigen-presenting cells' (APCs) targeting. The targeting ability of CNTs-M-VP7 was confirmed in vivo and in vitro. Critically, this immersion CNTs-M-VP7 vaccine could cross into the fish body through mucosal tissues (skin, gill, and intestine), and then present to immune-related tissues. Moreover, CNTs-M-VP7 could significantly induce the maturation and presenting process of APCs, which would then trigger robust immune responses. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-based targeted nanovaccine delivery system shows the potential to be an effective prophylactic against fish viral disease.
Keywords: carbon nanotubes; immune response; mannose; targeted nanovaccine; viral disease.