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Electrically Oscillating Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Enhanced DNA Vaccination against Hepatitis C Virus
Author(s) -
Draz Mohamed Shehata,
Wang YingJie,
Chen Frank Fanqing,
Xu Yuhong,
Shafiee Hadi
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201604139
Subject(s) - materials science , nanoparticle , vaccination , dna vaccination , immune system , nanotechnology , plasmon , nanomedicine , virus , immunization , virology , biophysics , biology , immunology , optoelectronics
The promise of DNA vaccines is far‐reaching. However, the development of potent immunization methods remains a key challenge for its use in clinical applications. Here, an approach for in vivo DNA vaccination by electrically activated plasmonic Au nanoparticles is reported. The electrical excitation of plasmonic nanoparticles can drive vibrational and dipole‐like oscillations that are able to disrupt nearby cell membranes. In combination with their intrinsic ability to focus and magnify the electric field on the surface of cells, Au nanoparticles allow enhanced cell poration and facilitate the uptake of DNA vaccine. Mice immunized with this approach showed up to 100‐fold higher gene expression compared to control treatments (without nanoparticles) and exhibited significantly increased levels of both antibody and cellular immune responses against a model hepatitis C virus DNA vaccine. This approach can be tuned to establish controlled and targeted delivery of different types of therapeutic molecules into cells and live animals as well.