International Journal of Nanomedicine (Jan 2024)
Enhancing Dendritic Cell Activation Through Manganese-Coated Nanovaccine Targeting the cGAS-STING Pathway
Abstract
Qiyu Wang,1,* Ying Gao,2,* Qiang Li,1,* Ao He,1 Qinglin Xu,1 Yongbin Mou1 1Department of Oral Implantology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Stomatology, the 964 Hospital, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qiang Li; Yongbin Mou, Department of Oral Implantology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, #30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 25 83620236, Fax +86 25 83620202, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Nanovaccines have emerged as a promising vaccination strategy, exhibiting their capacity to deliver antigens and adjuvants to elicit specific immune responses. Despite this potential, optimizing the design and delivery of nanovaccines remains a challenge.Methods: In this study, we engineered a dendritic mesoporous silica-based nanocarrier enveloped in a metal-phenolic network (MPN) layer containing divalent manganese ions and tannic acid (MSN@MT). This nanocarrier was tailored for antigen loading to serve as a nanovaccine, aiming to activate the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway in dendritic cells (DCs). Our experimental approach encompassed both cellular assays and mouse immunizations, allowing a comprehensive evaluation of the nanovaccine’s impact on DC activation and its influence on the generation of antigen-specific T-cell responses.Results: MSN@MT demonstrated a remarkable enhancement in humoral and cellular immune responses in mice compared to control groups. This highlights the potential of MSN@MT to effectively trigger the cGAS-STING pathway in DCs, resulting in robust immune responses.Conclusion: Our study introduces MSN@MT, a unique nanocarrier incorporating divalent manganese ions and tannic acid, showcasing its exceptional ability to amplify immune responses by activating the cGAS-STING pathway in DCs. This innovation signifies a stride in refining nanovaccine design for potent immune activation.Keywords: nanocarrier, metal-phenolic network, manganese ions, tannic acid
