Objective "Advanced designed vaccines have to combine proper antigen with the effective immune-stimulating agents (adjuvants) and delivery strategies in order to attain successful treatment. Presently, most vaccines are given as liquid formulations by intramuscular administration. However, nano-sized carriers of antigens hold great promise to be more effective delivery systems. To achieve the desired anti-cancer therapy; the ideal antigen nano-carrier has to fulfil a number of requirements. First of all carriers need to be (hollow) particles like with diameters in the range 50-500 nm in order to be taken up by dendritic cells (antigen-presenting cells capable to induce immune response). To facilitate the development of cellular immune responses, vaccine antigen must be presented on MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) class I. To win the goal, the nano-carrier should selectively bind to these cells, and be taken up into endosomes. To doing this carriers should be able to display certain adjuvants as targeting and stimulating ligands on their surface, and be capable to release its cargo upon response to pH changes in the endosome. Furthermore, vesicles have to carry and release antigen (i.e. proteins) to target destination with minor side-effects (biocompatibility and non-toxicity of carrier are essential). Hence, it is the goal of proposed project to develop nano-carriers on the basis of block copolymer vesicles (polymersomes) that have all those features.The aim is to developed polymersomes based on amphiphilic poly(2-methyloxazoline) PMOXA or (polydimethysiloxane) PDMS blocks in combination with stimulus-responsive copolymers blocks and a tunable polymersome surface chemistry.Therefore, the final goal is to provide ""smart"" drug delivery system with versatile surface chemistry, which will allow the attachment/incorporation of different adjuvants (e.g. saponins) and consequently enable target delivery." Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccinesmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncology Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinator UNIVERSITAT BASEL EU contribution € 192 622,20 Address PETERSPLATZ 1 4051 Basel Switzerland See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Nordwestschweiz Basel-Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Wolfgang Meier (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
