Although each imaging technique provides valuable information in basic research and preclinical studies, it suffers also from its own intrinsic limitations. In part, developing contrast agents which can be simultaneously detected by two or more complementary imaging modalities (e.g. multifunctional nanoparticles with multimodal imaging features) overcomes these limitations. Although these NPs are an exciting advance, it is widely accepted that a major trend in the future development of nanomaterials for biomedical research will be in combining imaging with therapy in a single construct so that diagnosis and treatment can occur together. In the context of theranostics, tackling cancer and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases is a major goal and challenge. One of the key contributions of NP vehicles for developing safer and more effective vaccines is in improving the delivery and presentation of antigen and adjuvant to the immune system. A major challenge and opportunity will be in achieving efficient delivery of antigen/adjuvant to organs such as the lymph nodes (LNs) where immune responses are orchestrated. This <i>in vivo</i> trafficking is also desirable to monitor the invasion status of tumor-draining LNs.<br/>We have developed different NPs engineered to provide effective delivery of antigen, anticancer drugs and different immunomodulatory molecules to LNs whilst acting as multimodal imaging probes. We have found that subcutaneous and intratumoral administration of these structurally optimized imageable nanovaccines in mice allows effective imaging of drug delivery to LNs. We have recently investigated the immune responses and the therapeutic efficacy of several of these systems and the results show that the nanoconstruts provide significantly more effective antigen specific immune responses, cancer cell killing and anti-tumour efficacy than the free drugs. It will be shown that these nanoconstructs are easy to assemble and that may be applicable to a broad range of immunomodulatory therapeutics and imaging agents.

Size-selected imageable nanoparticles for effective image-guided vaccine delivery and cancer immunotherapy

251st National Meeting (2016)

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