HSA-templated self-generation of gold nanoparticles for tumor vaccine delivery and combinational therapy

Drug delivery systems (DDS) play a vital role in the construction of tumor vaccines and can promote their therapeutic effect. Taking advantage of the versatile binding sites and bioreduction ability of human serum albumin (HSA), Au ions could be absorbed, reduced and nucleated to generate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on HSA without complicated intermediates, forming a DDS that can transform light to heat. Here, we designed self-generated AuNPs templated by HSA (HSA@AuNP). The HSA@AuNPs can deliver peptides, amplify the immune response and achieve combined photothermal therapy and immunotherapy. Human melanoma antigen gp100_25-33 (hgp100) peptide, a common hydrophilic tumor vaccine peptide that can be easily encapsulated in HSA, was chosen to be incorporated into the HSA@AuNPs. The in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the nanoparticles can mediate light-to-heat transduction under near-infrared irradiation (NIR), achieving tumor ablation and enhancing antitumor immunity. Our design can insulate toxic agents, streamline flux, increase the transition efficiency of interactants and improve the product yield, contributing a novel modality for facile and green synthesis of nanovaccines.