A novel fluoropolymer as a protein delivery vector with robust adjuvant effect for cancer immunotherapy

J Mater Chem B. 2023 Sep 27;11(37):8933-8942. doi: 10.1039/d3tb01531a.

Abstract

The inefficient treatment using protein-based nanovaccines is largely attributed to their inadequate immunogenicity. Herein, we developed a novel fluoropolymer (PF) via ring-opening polymerization and constructed a fluoropolymer-based nanovaccine for tumor immunotherapy. Due to the existence of fluoroalkyl chains, PF not only played a crucial role in tumor antigen delivery but also exhibited a remarkable adjuvant effect in enhancing the immunogenicity of nanovaccines. The nanovaccines formed by mixing PF with a model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) enhanced the uptake of antigen proteins by dendritic cells (DCs) and promoted the maturation and antigen presentation of DCs. Compared with free OVA, PF/OVA showed better efficacy in both pre-cancer prevention and tumor treatment. Furthermore, the proportion of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells was significantly increased in lymph nodes and tumors of mice immunized with PF/OVA. Additionally, there was a great enhancement in the levels of key anti-tumor cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-γ) in the serum of the PF/OVA immunized mice. Our research has shown that fluoropolymer PF applied as a protein vector and adjuvant has great potential for the development of nanovaccines with robust immunogenicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes*
  • Fluorocarbon Polymers
  • Immunotherapy
  • Mice
  • Neoplasms* / metabolism

Substances

  • Fluorocarbon Polymers
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antigens, Neoplasm