Nanoparticles for immune system activation
How to make the immune system work with the help of nanoparticles
A study report (Chinnathambi et al., Binding Mode of CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides to Nanoparticles Regulates Bifurcated Cytokine induction via Toll-like Receptor 9) is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
DNA/RNA-based drugs are molecular-oriented drugs designed to affect with jeweler precision completely specific proteins or sequences of bases. Such medicines have the brightest hopes in the fight against cancer, viral infections, autoimmune disorders and allergic diseases like hay fever.
Well-proven nucleic CpG ODN preparations (cytosine phosphate-guanine-oligodeoxynucleotides) are divided into two large groups. One induces interferon (interferon type), and the other specializes in inducing interleukin 6 (interleukin type). In both cases, there is a significant effect of immune stimulation. The only problem is that the traditional method of drug administration does not allow inducing either interferon or interleukin 6 (even with the simultaneous use of both types of drugs, and if such a thing were possible, the cumulative immune effect would be simply prohibitive).
In this work, the scientists limited themselves to using only the interleukin type CpG ODN, which was fixed on the surface of silicon nanoparticles by two different methods (which is important). After that, both types of nanoparticles were used simultaneously (that is, we are talking about creating two types of drugs that differ not in the structure of the active component, but in its geometry). As a result, it was possible to carry out simultaneous activation of both interferon and interleukin 6 for the first time.
On the left: CpG ODN-molecules induce interleukin 6. In the center: CpG ODN, electrostatically bound to silicon (blue), induce interferon. Right: when the orientation of the molecules resembles a free CpG ODN, interleukin 6 is activated. (Fig. Nature.)
As you understand, in this case, the role of nanoparticles was not limited only to logistics (delivery of the substance to the destination), since the observed effect of the drug has changed dramatically. The structure of the nanoparticle (more precisely, the mutual orientation of the active nucleic acids on the surface of the silicon core) made it possible to establish full control over the activity of the nucleic preparation.
Prepared according to the materials of the National Institute of Materials Science: Development of Technology that Enhances the Efficacy of Immunity-Activating Nucleic Acid Drugs Using Nanoparticles.
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