Silica Nanoparticles – Hepatitis B Virus Like Particles in Immunomodulation

Immunomodulation is a new kind of viral infection treatment where molecular agents that are injected inside a human organism stimulate immune system to respond effectively to a viral infection. It is important to deliver immune response-modulating agents (IMA) exactly to target cells. A concentration of IMA in the vicinity of the cell should be high in contract with the rest organism. Such the approach reduces side effects that are possibly induced due to IMA. The virus like particles (VLP) are used to transport IMA. In order to deliver high concentration of VLP to the cell they could be attached to the nanoparticle that will be in use as a nanolorry for the drug delivery system. SiO2 nanoparticles were explored to attach Hepatitis B VLP. Spectrophotometry measurements, electron and fluorescent microscopy evidenced that the SiO2 - Hepatitis B VLP complexes were formed. Vaccination of animals with the complexes demonstrated twelve-time increase in antibody production. The results confirmed eligibility of SiO2 nanoparticles to become the nanolorries for VLP