Surfactant-free synthesis of sub-100 nm poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) nanoparticles by one-step ultrasonic assisted emulsification/polymerization

The preparation of sub-100 nm surfactant-free polymeric nanoparticles was achieved via a new protocol that involves acoustic oil-in-water emulsification and concomitant free-radical polymerization of apolar monomers such as St and DVB.

Surface-modified P(HEMA-co-MAA) nanogel carriers for oral vaccine delivery: design, characterization, and in vitro targeting evaluation

Oral drug delivery is a route of choice for vaccine administration because of its noninvasive nature and thus efforts have focused on efficient delivery of vaccine antigens to mucosal sites. An effective oral vaccine delivery system must protect the antigen from degradation upon mucosal delivery, penetrate mucosal barriers, and control the release of the antigen and costimulatory and immunomodulatory agents to specific immune cells (i.e., APCs). In this paper, mannan-modified pH-responsive P(HEMA-co-MAA) nanogels were synthesized and assessed as carriers for oral vaccination. The nanogels showed pH-sensitive properties, entrapping and protecting the loaded cargo at low pH values, and triggered protein release after switching to intestinal pH values. Surface decoration with mannan as carbohydrate moieties resulted in enhanced internalization by macrophages as well as increasing the expression of relevant costimulatory molecules. These findings indicate that mannan-modified P(HEMA-co-MAA) nanogels are a promising approach to a more efficacious oral vaccination regimen.