Figure 4.

Strategies to exploit DC biology with the mRNA-LNP platform.

Here we present two not mutually exclusive strategies to use the mRNA-LNP platform to support a variety of different adaptive immune responses by targeting DCs. On the left panel, we present a strategy that takes into consideration that not all DC subsets express the same PRR repertoire, thus they are more functionally specialized. In this case, we can have the LNPs containing different PRR ligand(s). By changing the ligands and targeting certain DC subsets we can achieve again a variety of different adaptive responses. In this case the engagement of different PRRs will lead to secretion of distinct polarizing cytokines by the DCs. On the right panel, we propose to have mRNAs coding for certain polarizing cytokines along with the antigen (protein or mRNA coding for the antigen) delivered to all the DCs. By changing the polarizing cytokines, we could make any DC subset to support different adaptive immune responses.