Table 2.
Schematic view of the mechanism of action and advantages of the different micro- and nanotechnologies for peptide-based vaccine delivery.
| Type of technology | Role | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Alum | (i) Depot (ii) Activation of inflamasome and IL-1β release |
(i) Enhances antibody responses |
|
| ||
| Emulsions | (i) Promote antigen uptake by DCs (ii) Strong immunostimulatory activity |
(i) Allows reduction of antigen dose |
| (ii) Well tolerated | ||
| (iii) Useful in children | ||
| (iv) Mixed Th1/Th2 responses | ||
|
| ||
| Polymeric MPs and NPs | (i) Enhance IL-1β secretion by DCs | (i) Biodegradable and biocompatible |
| (ii) Release during long time periods | ||
| (iii) Modulation of the delivery: continuous, by pulses, or triggered by several factors (pH, temperature, ionic strength, electric or magnetic fields) | ||
| (iv) Elicit humoral and cellular immunity | ||
|
| ||
| Liposomes | (i) Passive targeting (ii) Tendency to interact with macrophages |
(i) CD4+, CD8+ and CLT immune responses |
| (ii) Modulation of the immune response using different lipids | ||
|
| ||
| VLPs | (i) Taken up by APCs and MHC class I and II presentation | (i) Incorporation of peptides produced by recombination, or chemically coupling them once the VLP is formed |
| (ii) Potent humoral and cellular immune responses | ||
|
| ||
| Virosomes | (i) Enter cells through receptor mediated endocytosis | (i) Membrane fusion properties of the virus are maintained |
| (ii) Humoral and CTL responses | ||
| (iii) Value for developing multivalent vaccines | ||
|
| ||
| ICOMs and ISCOMATRIX | (i) Antigen carrier (ii) Immunostimulation (because of the saponin) |
(i) Potent humoral and cellular immune responses |
| (ii) Reduction of the antigen dose | ||
| (iii) Safe and well tolerated | ||
|
| ||
| Nanobeads | (i) Depends on the size: small ones elicit CD8+
immune response, whereas larger ones facilitate CD4+ responses |
(i) Humoral and cellular immune responses |