Ionic polyphosphazene macromolecules have already demonstrated their potency and safety as immunoadjuvants when administered with vaccine antigens. These well-defined, water-soluble, and biodegradable molecules have been evaluated in various animal models and advanced into clinical trials.  Initially polyphosphazenes have been viewed merely as vaccine delivery vehicles due to their ability to spontaneously self-assemble with antigens in aqueous solutions, stabilize and present them to immunocompetent cells. However, recent findings demonstrated that polyphosphazenes are capable of binding immune receptors and stimulating human dendritic cells, as well as engineered cells with overexpressed Toll-like receptors (TLRs). These results inspired us to take a new look at the already established technology, especially in view of well-known anti-tumor activity of TLR agonists and synergistic effects of their combinations. We explore the potential of ionic polyphosphazene macromolecules as immunotherapies in regard to their ability to simultaneously activate multiple TLR signaling pathways.  Furthermore, we investigate the ability of polyphosphazenes to serve as carriers for self-assembly and co-delivery of TLR agonist combinations.

Ionic polyphosphazenes and their potential as immunotherapies

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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