DNA Vaccine Mediated by Rambutan-Like Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

The development of safe and effective DNA vaccines is of great significance for treating various diseases. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been widely employed either for gene delivery or as adjuvants to amplify the immune responses, but rarely reported in DNA vaccines. In this study, the first report of MSNs-based DNA vaccine by using rambutan-like MSNs as both gene vector and adjuvant is presented. The high antigen expression and enhanced dendritic cell maturation generated by the MSNs-based DNA vaccine lead to superior immune response. Boosted antigen-specific IgG antibody, enhanced cytokine production of IFN-γ, and amplified CD8⁺ T cells are observed for mice treated with MSNs-based vaccines. This study showcases a powerful DNA vaccine platform with outstanding immune responses, which provides useful guidance for the design of effective nanomaterial-based vaccines.