Engineering biomaterial-associated complement activation to improve vaccine efficacy

The complement system plays an important role in innate and adaptive immunity, which suggests that complement activation could be exploited as a potential strategy for vaccine adjuvants. Here we explored the potential of chitosan-based microparticles (CS-NH2 MPs) as a vaccine adjuvant with an active surface for complement activation due to the abundance of amino groups. In vaccination studies, using recombinant anthrax protective antigen as a model antigen, compared with the control microparticles (amino-cross-linked MPs), we found that microparticles (MPs) with abundant amino groups significantly enhanced higher antigen-specific IgG titers in vivo and enhanced the production of IL-4 and IFN-γ with ex vivo restimulation. Furthermore, proliferative responses of splenocytes to ex vivo antigen restimulation were enhanced following immunization with MPs with amino groups. Overall, these results indicated that CS-NH2 MPs with a high surface density of amino groups were favorable for complement activation and immune responses. Our data provide further design principles for studies on complement-activating MPs as a vaccine platform.