Chemotherapy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Chemotherapy, including details on cancer treatment, side effects, drugs.

Development of amphiphilic gamma-PGA-nanoparticle based tumor vaccine: potential of the nanoparticulate cytosolic protein delivery carrier.

Yoshikawa T, Okada N, Oda A, Matsuo K, Matsuo K, Mukai Y, Yoshioka Y, Akagi T, Akashi M, Nakagawa S

Department of Biotechnology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.

Nanoscopic therapeutic systems that incorporate biomacromolecules, such as protein and peptides, are emerging as the next generation of nanomedicine aimed at improving the therapeutic efficacy of biomacromolecular drugs. In this study, we report that poly(gamma-glutamic acid)-based nanoparticles (gamma-PGA NPs) are excellent protein delivery carriers for tumor vaccines that delivered antigenic proteins to antigen-presenting cells and elicited potent immune responses. Importantly, gamma-PGA NPs efficiently delivered entrapped antigenic proteins through cytosolic translocation from the endosomes, which is a key process of gamma-PGA NP-mediated anti-tumor immune responses. Our findings suggest that the gamma-PGA NP system is suitable for the intracellular delivery of protein-based drugs as well as tumor vaccines.

Published 2 January 2008 in Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 366(2): 408-13.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Chemotherapy Research Today. All Rights Reserved.