Development of Protein–Polymer Conjugate Nanoparticles for Modulation of Dendritic Cell Phenotype and Antigen-Specific CD4 T Cell Responses

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) have found success in modulating antigen (Ag)-specific T cell responses for the treatment multiple immunological diseases. Common methods by which Ags are associated with NPs are through encapsulation and surface conjugation; however, these methods suffer from several limitations including uncontrolled Ag loading, burst release, and potential immune recognition. To overcome these limitations and study the relationship between NP design parameters and the modulation of innate and Ag-specific adaptive immune cell responses, we developed ovalbumin (OVA) protein-PLGA bioconjugate NPs (acNP-OVA). OVA was first modified by conjugation with multiple PLGA polymers to synthesize the OVA–PLGA conjugates, followed by precise combination with unmodified PLGA to form acNP-OVA with well-defined Ag loadings, reduced burst release, and reduced antibody recognition. Expression of MHC II, CD80, and CD86 on bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) increased as a function of acNP-OVA Ag loading. NanoString studies using BMDCs showed that PLGA NPs generally induced anti-inflammatory gene expression profiles independent of the Ag delivery method, where S100a9, Sell, and Ppbp were most significantly reduced. Coculture studies using acNP-OVA-treated BMDCs and OT-II CD4+ T cells revealed that Ag-specific T cell activation, expansion, and differentiation were dependent on Ag loading and formulation parameters. CD25 expression was induced using acNP-OVA with the lowest Ag loading; however, the induction of robust CD4+ T cell proliferative and cytokine responses required acNP-OVA formulations with higher Ag loadings, which was supported using a regulatory T cell (Treg) induction assay. The distinct differences in Ag loading required to achieve various T cell responses supported the concept of an Ag loading threshold for Ag-specific immunotherapy. We anticipate this work will help guide NP designs and aid in the future development of NP-based immunotherapies for Ag-specific immunomodulation.