Immunization with peptide encapsulated within synthetic spores activates T cell responses and reduces tumor growth

Peptide-based therapeutic immunizations represent safe approaches to elicit antigen-specific T cell responses, but their broad utility remains limited due to poor immunogenicity and short in vivo stability due to rapid degradation and clearance. Here we employed synthetic bacterial spore-like particles, "SSHELs", made entirely of biocompatible materials, to deliver a model peptide antigen in the absence of additional adjuvants. SSHELs carrying the peptide antigen were internalized by dendritic cells and SSHEL-delivered peptides were then processed and cross-presented in vitro and in vivo more efficiently than free peptides. Further, SSHEL-delivered peptides elicited effective antigen-specific T cell expansion in a manner that was dependent on particle size and peptide presentation mode (encased peptides were superior to surface-attached peptides). In a mouse melanoma model expressing the antigen ovalbumin, therapeutic immunization reduced tumor size and increased survival. We propose that SSHELs are a self-adjuvanting peptide delivery system that mimics a natural presentation to elicit a robust immune response.