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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Whole-animal Imaging and Flow Cytometric Techniques for Analysis of Antigen-specific CD8+ T Cell Responses after Nanoparticle Vaccination
Published on: April 29, 2015
Hydrogel integrating engineered bacteriophages and nanoparticles potentiates antigen cross-presentation in
Tao Jiang1, Weijie Wang2, Bai Lv2
1School of Life Sciences and Health, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266113, China; College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China.
Abstract:
Adequate production of tumor-associated antigens and their efficient cross-presentation by tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells (DCs) to prime T cells are critical for successful tumor immunotherapy. Herein, we developed a nanocomposite hydrogel for breast cancer immunotherapy by cross-linking oncolytic bacteriophages (RGD-M13-3C phage) and incorporating vitamin E-loaded nanoparticles with DC-targeting capability (VE@NPT). The RGD-M13-3C phage is capable of targeting and lysing tumor cells to release tumor-associated antigens. Meanwhile, VE@NPT targets DCs and releases vitamin E, which reduces oxidized lipid levels and their accumulation in DCs. Consequently, the nanocomposite hydrogel can not only generate abundant tumor-associated antigens but also promote lipid metabolism in DCs, thereby enhancing antigen cross-presentation by DCs. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that the hydrogel suppressed tumor growth and triggered an effective antitumor immune response. This study provides methodologies for enhancing antigen cross-presentation by DCs and improving oncolytic immunotherapy using phage-based composite hydrogels.
