Controlled analysis of nanoparticle charge on mucosal and systemic antibody responses following pulmonary immunization

To our knowledge, no other nano-based vaccine delivery platform has directly assessed the effects of nanoparticle charge on pulmonary vaccination without affecting other physio/chemical particle characteristics and/or antigen loading. The Particle Replication in Non-Wetting Templates nanoparticle fabrication process is unique in that it allows for isolation of charge as the sole variable in these studies while maintaining all other physical and chemical parameters constant. We find that positively charged nanoparticles induce robust mucosal and systemic antibody responses following pulmonary administration, whereas negatively charged nanoparticles fail to do so. Therefore, our studies underscore the importance of considering nanoparticle charge as a critical design parameter when generating pulmonary-based vaccines and may have implications for particulate vaccination through other routes of administration