Synthesis of biodegradable hydrogel microparticles for vaccine protein delivery

• Main Author: Werts, Kendall (Kendall Marie)
• Other Authors: Darrell Irvine.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2009
• Subjects: Materials Science and Engineering.
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44811

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2007. === Includes bibliographical references (p. 21). === Soluble protein antigens used in vaccines have shown lower immune responses when compared with certain particulate forms of these same antigens. For example, it has been shown that micro- and nano-particle mediated delivery of protein antigen can use up to 100 times less protein and still produce an effective immune response [1]. In order to use this phenomenon to make vaccines more efficient, we need a biodegradable delivery particle. This thesis modifies a particle created by Jain et al., which consists of a polymer network surrounding and trapping a protein, by removing the non-degradable crosslinker used in the original particle design and replacing it with a poly (ethylene glycol) acrylate molecule attached to ovalbumin protein. When a dendritic cell degrades the particle, the ovalbumin protein will be degraded, as will the connections between the polymer network that holds the particle together [2]. The particles degraded to 56% of their original size in 3 days, while the non-degradable particle degraded to only 80% of its original size. === by Kendall Werts. === S.B.