Gold nanoparticles and vaccine development

Abstract

Mucosal vaccines constitute an advantageous immunization approach to achieve broad immunization against widespread diseases; however, improvements in this field are still required to expand their exploitation. As gold nanoparticles are biocompatible and can be easily functionalized with antigens, they have been proposed as carriers for the delivery of vaccines. The study of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in vaccinology has been of interest for a number of research groups in recent years and important advances have been made. This review provides a summary of the AuNPs synthesis methodologies and an updated overview of the current AuNPs-based vaccines under development. The implications of these advances for the development of new mucosal vaccines as well as future prospects for the field are discussed.

Keywords:

• antigen uptake
• delivery vehicle
• functionalization
• immunogenicity
• intranasal immunization
• mucosal vaccine
• nanoparticles
• oral immunization
• toxicity
• vaccine cost

Financial & competing interests disclosure

S Rosales-Mendoza and O González-Ortega were supported by CONACYT/Mexico CONACYT (grant INFR-2014-01- 225843) and PROFOCIES 2014. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Key issues

• The development of new efficacious and affordable vaccines is a priority in vaccinology, a goal that requires efficient delivery vehicles to ensure not only antigen delivery but protection from degradation.

• Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be used as vaccines delivery vehicles as they are biocompatible and can be easily functionalized with antigens.

• AuNPs show low toxicity in mammals and after dendritic cells uptake a cytokine production can be induced which is dependent on the shape and size of the AuNPs.

• A summary of the most common synthesis methodology for AuNPs production is provided.

• The state of the art on developing AuNPs-based vaccines is presented.

• Future prospects in the development and evaluation of AuNPs-based candidate vaccines are identified.