Controlling the semi-permeability of protein nanocapsules influences the cellular response to macromolecular payloads

Nanocarriers with Multiple Cargo Load-A Comprehensive Preparation Guideline Using Orthogonal Strategies

Multifunctional nanocarriers enhance the treatment efficacy for modern therapeutics and have gained increasing importance in biomedical research. Codelivery of multiple bioactive molecules enables synergistic therapies. Coencapsulation of cargo molecules into one nanocarrier system is challenging due to different physicochemical properties of the cargo molecules. Additionally, coencapsulation of multiple molecules simultaneously shall proceed with high control and efficiency. Orthogonal approaches for the preparation of nanocarriers are essential to encapsulate sensitive bioactive molecules while preserving their bioactivity. Preparation of nanocarriers by physical processes (i.e., self-assembly or coacervation) and chemical reactions (i.e., click reactions, polymerizations, etc.) are considered as orthogonal methods to most cargo molecules. This review shall act as a guideline to allow the reader to select a suitable preparation protocol for a desired nanocarrier system. This article helps to select for combinations of cargo molecules (hydrophilic-hydrophobic, small-macro, organic-inorganic) with nanocarrier material and synthesis protocols. The focus of this article lies on the coencapsulation of multiple cargo molecules into biocompatible and biodegradable nanocarriers prepared by orthogonal strategies. With this toolbox, the selection of a preparation method for a known set of cargo molecules to prepare the desired biodegradable and loaded nanocarrier shall be provided.

Multi-compartment supracapsules made from nano-containers towards programmable release

The assembly of nanomaterials into suprastructures offers the possibility to fabricate larger scale functional materials, whose inner structure strongly influences their functionality for a vast range of applications. In spite of the many current strategies, achieving multi-compartment structures in a targeted and versatile way remains highly challenging. Here, we describe a controllable and straightforward route to create uniform suprastructured materials with a multi-compartmentalized architecture by confining primary nanocapsules into droplets using a cross-junction microfluidic device. Following solvent evaporation from the droplets, the nanocapsules spontaneously assemble into precisely sized multi-compartment particles, which we term supracapsules. Thanks to the process, each spatially separated nanocapsule unit retains its cargo and functionalities within the resulting supracapsules. However, new collective properties emerge, and, particularly, programmable release profiles that are distinct from those of single-compartment capsules. Finally, the suprastructures can be disassembled into single-compartment units by applying ultra-sonication, switching their release to a burst-release mode. These findings open up exciting opportunities to fabricate multi-compartment suprastructures incorporating diverse functionalities for materials with emerging properties.

OVA-PEG-R848 nanocapsules stimulate neonatal conventional and plasmacytoid dendritic cells

Childhood mortality represents a major issue with 5. 3 million worldwide deaths of children under 5 years of age in 2019. Approximately half of those deaths can be attributed to easily preventable, infectious diseases. Currently approved neonatal vaccines are typically effective only after multiple doses leaving infants especially vulnerable during the first 6 months of life. Survival rates could be improved significantly by developing new and more potent vaccines that are capable of overcoming inherently tolerogenic neonatal immune systems. TLR agonists have garnered a great deal of attention in recent years due to their extensive capacities to activate innate immunity. Herein, the superior capacity of the TLR7/8 agonist, resiquimod (R848), to activate adult and neonatal primary peripheral blood dendritic cells is demonstrated. Moreover, R848 can be conjugated to polyethylene glycol and encapsulated in ovalbumin nanocapsules to efficiently co-deliver antigen and adjuvant in vitro. This study is among the first to demonstrate the capacity of encapsulated R848 to activate neonatal dendritic cells. These findings support the potential incorporation of R848 as adjuvant in neonatal vaccines, making them more effective in eliciting a robust immune response.

Polymer nano-systems for the encapsulation and delivery of active biomacromolecular therapeutic agents

Biomacromolecular therapeutic agents, particularly proteins, antigens, enzymes, and nucleic acids are emerging as powerful candidates for the treatment of various diseases and the development of the recent vaccine based on mRNA highlights the enormous potential of this class of drugs for future medical applications. However, biomacromolecular therapeutic agents present an enormous delivery challenge compared to traditional small molecules due to both a high molecular weight and a sensitive structure. Hence, the translation of their inherent pharmaceutical capacity into functional therapies is often hindered by the limited performance of conventional delivery vehicles. Polymer drug delivery systems are a modular solution able to address those issues. In this review, we discuss recent developments in the design of polymer delivery systems specifically tailored to the delivery challenges of biomacromolecular therapeutic agents. In the future, only in combination with a multifaceted and highly tunable delivery system, biomacromolecular therapeutic agents will realize their promising potential for the treatment of diseases and for the future of human health.