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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Enrich and Expand Rare Antigen-specific T Cells with Magnetic Nanoparticles
Published on: November 17, 2018
Potent activation of antigen-specific T cells by antigen-loaded nanospheres
Xin Wang1, Tomofumi Uto, Katsuaki Sato
1Division of Antiviral Chemotherapy, Center for Chronic Viral Diseases, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan.
Polystyrene nanospheres (NS) were found to be efficiently taken up by murine antigen-presenting cells (APC), especially bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC), in vitro and in vivo. The efficiency of NS uptake was not affected by the maturation state of DC. Both immature and mature DC had similar ability to take up NS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Uptake and intracellular localization of NS was clearly demonstrated by confocal laser microscopy, using NS with fluorescence. DC could efficiently take up ovalbumin (OVA), when loaded on the surface of NS (OVA-NS). Consequently, OVA-NS-pulsed DC activated antigen-specific interferon (IFN)-gamma-producing T cells much more strongly than OVA-pulsed DC in vitro. These results suggest that NS can be used as an efficient antigen delivery system to DC for a variety of vaccines, such as an anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vaccine.
Polystyrene nanospheres (NS) were found to be efficiently taken up by murine antigen-presenting cells (APC), especially bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC), in vitro and in vivo. The efficiency of NS uptake was not affected by the maturation state of DC. Both immature and mature DC had similar ability to take up NS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Uptake and intracellular localization of NS was clearly demonstrated by confocal laser microscopy, using NS with fluorescence. DC could efficiently take up ovalbumin (OVA), when loaded on the surface of NS (OVA-NS). Consequently, OVA-NS-pulsed DC activated antigen-specific interferon (IFN)-gamma-producing T cells much more strongly than OVA-pulsed DC in vitro. These results suggest that NS can be used as an efficient antigen delivery system to DC for a variety of vaccines, such as an anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vaccine.
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