Micro- and nanoparticulate encapsulation strategies have attracted attention to solve a number of challenges in the biomedical field, e.g. for drug delivery or as building blocks in tissue engineering. We hypothesize that, compared to solid matrix particles such as PLGA microspheres, porous, fully-hydrated particles are hypothesized to have superior properties for several applications. Hydrated particles allow in and outwards diffusion of water as well as reactants and reaction products. Moreover, particles with additionally a porous structure allow a faster and more efficient access to macromolecular reactants such as proteins which would otherwise encounter serious diffusion limitations in densely structured microparticles. In view of these considerations we are evaluating self-assembly strategies to design nano- and microparticulate systems for intracellular delivery of vaccine antigens to immune cells in combination with stimulatory cues that shape the magnitude and type of immune response. Inspired by nature, the systems we design mimic the structure and function of pathogens, thereby simulating natural infection.

Hydrogen bonded and electrostatically assembled nanoporous microparticles for intracellular protein delivery

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.