Final Report Summary - NANOIMMUNE (Nanoparticle Vaccines: At the interface of bionanotechnology and adaptive immunity)
The publicum holds the field of nanomaterials with a general fear, having read newspaper articles about nanomaterials that are very ominous. Here, we show that specific nanomaterials can have very powerful beneficial immunological effects, making vaccines more effective than previously possible. The NanoImmune project developed novel biocompatible nanoparticles from specifically engineered polymers to deliver biomolecules to the immune system to induce protective and even therapeutic immune responses. Whereas protective vaccines prevent diseases from pathogens, therapeutic vaccines can treat disease that the subject already has, such as chronic viral disease and cancer. The project was specifically focused on developing vaccines that can trigger cells in the body, called cytotoxic T lymphocytes, that are capable of killing cells that are infected with viral pathogens or that are cancerous. The project developed novel nanoparticulate biomaterials and novel chemical schemes by which to attach biomolecules versus which immunity is desired (antigens) and by which immunity is activated (adjuvants). The project demonstrated these concepts in mouse models of influenza, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and cancer models.