Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are immune cells crucial for fighting against diseases such as HIV, HCV and cancer. Vaccines that can induce CTL response are under great demand. To elicit strong CTL activities through vaccination, a suitable delivery system is usually required. Polymers, natural or synthetic, are good candidates. A desirable delivery system should not only be to protect cargoes during circulation but also help to induce strong immune responses against the desired antigen while minimizing unwanted immune responses induced by carrier. In our study, a polymethacrylate based polymer was introduced as a vaccine carrier to deliver a model antigen, OVA, and an adjuvant. The polymer backbone did not generate much immune response <i>in vitro</i>, which suggested a low possibility of off-target immune activation. When the antigen was covalently conjugated to the polymer, an enhanced CTL response was generated compared to antigen alone or an admixture of antigen/polymer. The covalent conjugation of adjuvant and polymer improved the activation of macrophages compared to the free adjuvant. Proper combination of antigen/adjuvant-polymer conjugation resulted in a further enhanced CTL response against the desired antigen. A therapeutic tumor model was tested, and our vaccine showed a significant slowdown of tumor growth indicating a successful immunization. The antigen/adjuvant-polymer conjugation provided a new way to generate enhanced CTL responses while keeping the chance of unwanted immune activation minimized.<br/>

Antigen/adjuvant-polymer conjugation for enhanced cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses

256th National Meeting (2018)

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