Mal-PEG-PLGA/PEG-PLGA from PolySciTech used in development of nanoparticle-adjuvant vaccines

Vaccines act to induce the human immune system to recognize and attack pathogens preventing future infections. The role of an adjuvant in a vaccine is to ensure that the appropriate immune response is elicited by the vaccine to provide for the protection. Recently, researchers at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Monash University (Australia), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and University of Florida used mPEG-PLGA (AK101) and Mal-PEG-PLGA (AI109) from PolySciTech (www.polyscitech.com) to create nanoparticles for immune response. This research holds promise to enable the development of more effective vaccine strategies. Read more: Wilson, Kirsty L., Gregory P. Howard, Heather Coatsworth, Rhoel R. Dinglasan, Hai-Quan Mao, and Magdalena Plebanski. "Biodegradable PLGA-b-PEG Nanoparticles Induce T Helper 2 (Th2) Immune Responses and Sustained Antibody Titers via TLR9 Stimulation." Vaccines 8, no. 2 (2020): 261. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/8/2/261 

“Abstract: Sustained immune responses, particularly antibody responses, are key for protection against many endemic infectious diseases. Antibody responses are often accompanied by T helper (Th) cell immunity. Herein we study small biodegradable poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PEG-b-PLGA NPs, 25–50 nm) as antigen- or adjuvant-carriers. The antigen carrier function of PEG-b-PLGA NPs was compared against an experimental benchmark polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs, 40–50 nm), both conjugated with the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA-PS NPs, and OVA-PEG-b-PLGA NPs). The OVA-PEG-b-PLGA NPs induced sustained antibody responses to Day 120 after two immunizations. The OVA-PEG-b-PLGA NPs as a self-adjuvanting vaccine further induced IL-4 producing T-helper cells (Th2), but not IFN-γ producing T-cells (Th1). The PEG-b-PLGA NPs as a carrier for CpG adjuvant (CpG-PEG-b-PLGA NPs) were also tested as mix-in vaccine adjuvants comparatively for protein antigens, or for protein-conjugated to PS NPs or to PEG-b-PLGA NPs. While the addition of this adjuvant NP did not further increase T-cell responses, it improved the consistency of antibody responses across all immunization groups. Together these data support further development of PEG-b-PLGA NPs as a vaccine carrier, particularly where it is desired to induce Th2 immunity and achieve sustained antibody titers in the absence of affecting Th1 immunity. Keywords: nanoparticle; adjuvant; vaccine; antibody; immune response”