Improved Humoral Immunity and Protection Against Influenza Virus Infection With a 3D Porous Biomaterial Vaccine
September 2023
in “
Advanced science
”
TLDR A new vaccine using a porous scaffold boosts immunity and protects against the flu better than traditional methods.
The study investigates the efficacy of a 3D porous biomaterial vaccine (MAP) in enhancing humoral immunity and protection against influenza virus infection in C57BL/6J mice. The MAP gels, which are injectable and form a porous scaffold, sustained antigen delivery and provided proper immune activation signals. By increasing the stiffness of the hydrogel, greater T follicular helper (Tfh) cell expansion, prolonged germinal center (GC) B cell development, and enhanced high-affinity antibody responses were observed. Compared to traditional aluminum hydroxide-based adjuvants, the MAP vaccine induced higher antigen-specific IgG1 antibody levels and stronger Tfh and GC B cell responses, resulting in superior protection against influenza infection. Mice immunized with the MAP formulation showed minimal weight loss and higher survival rates, suggesting that the VaxMAP platform could be a versatile and effective alternative for various vaccine applications.
