Govea-Alonso Dania O, García-Soto Mariano J, Mendoza-Pérez Emilio Sebastián, Farfán-Castro Susan, Fuente Diana, González-Ortega Omar, Rosales-Mendoza Sergio
Departamento de Biotecnológicas y Ambientales, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Zapopan 45129, Mexico.
Sección de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud y Biomedicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Sierra Leona 550, Lomas 2ª. Sección, San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico.
Materials (Basel). 2023 Aug 4;16(15):5467. doi: 10.3390/ma16155467.
The discovery and validation of new adjuvants are critical areas for vaccinology. Mineral materials (e.g., alum microparticles) have been used for a long time as adjuvants in human vaccine formulations. Nonetheless, the use of nanosized materials is a promising approach to diversify the properties of adjuvants. Nanoclays are potential adjuvants proposed by some research groups. However, their adjuvant mechanisms and safety have not been fully elucidated. Herein, we aimed at expanding the knowledge on the potential adjuvanticity of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles by reporting a detailed method for the synthesis and characterization of LDHs and the adsorption of a model antigen (bovine serum albumin, BSA). LDHs varying in diameter (from 56 to 88 nm) were obtained, and an in vitro evaluation revealed that the LDHs are not inherently toxic. BSA was passively adsorbed onto the LDHs, and the immunogenicity in mice of the conjugates obtained was compared to that of free BSA and BSA co-administered with alum (Alum-BSA). The LDH-BSA conjugates induced a higher humoral response that lasted for a longer period compared with that of free BSA and Alum-BSA, confirming that LDH exerts adjuvant effects. The 56 nm LDH particles were deemed as the more efficient carrier since they induced a higher and more balanced Th1/Th2 response than the 88 nm particles. This study is a contribution toward expanding the characterization and use of nanoclays in vaccinology and justifies further studies with pathogen-specific antigens.
新型佐剂的发现与验证是疫苗学的关键领域。矿物质材料（如铝微粒）长期以来一直被用作人类疫苗制剂中的佐剂。尽管如此，使用纳米材料是使佐剂性质多样化的一种有前景的方法。纳米黏土是一些研究团队提出的潜在佐剂。然而，它们的佐剂机制和安全性尚未完全阐明。在此，我们旨在通过报告一种详细的方法来扩展关于层状双氢氧化物（LDH）纳米颗粒潜在佐剂活性的知识，该方法用于LDH的合成与表征以及一种模型抗原（牛血清白蛋白，BSA）的吸附。获得了直径不同（从56到88纳米）的LDH，体外评估表明LDH本身无毒。BSA被动吸附到LDH上，并将所得缀合物在小鼠中的免疫原性与游离BSA以及与明矾共同给药的BSA（明矾 - BSA）进行比较。与游离BSA和明矾 - BSA相比，LDH - BSA缀合物诱导了更高且持续时间更长的体液反应，证实LDH发挥了佐剂作用。56纳米的LDH颗粒被认为是更有效的载体，因为它们比88纳米的颗粒诱导了更高且更平衡的Th1/Th2反应。这项研究有助于在疫苗学中扩展对纳米黏土的表征和应用，并为使用病原体特异性抗原进行进一步研究提供了依据。
