Zeitschrift für genetische Syndrome und Gentherapie
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Freeze Dried Chitosan/ Poly-ε-Caprolactone and Poly-ε-Caprolactone Nanoparticles: Evaluation of their Potential as DNA and Antigen Delivery Systems

Jesus S, Borchard G and Borges O

Nanoparticles prepared from natural or synthetic polymers have shown potential for antigen and DNA vaccine delivery to mucosal surfaces. The purpose of this research was to prepare chitosan/poly-ε-caprolactone (Chitosan/ PCL) nanoparticles and PCL nanoparticles and evaluate their potential as DNA and protein/vaccine delivery systems. Both preparation methods resulted in particles of low cytotoxicity and sizes suggested to be ideal to be taken up by cells (199 ± 62 nm and 165 ± 35 nm, respectively for chitosan/PCL and PCL nanoparticles). However, Chitosan/ PCL nanoparticles offered considerable advantages over PCL nanoparticles as antigen and DNA delivery system. Namely, higher loading efficacies for model antigens studied (myoglobin, BSA, ovalbumin, lactalbumin, α-casein and lysozyme), much higher uptake by A549 cells, great ability to form stable complexes, which protect DNA from nucleases. However, in spite of good DNA and protein loading capabilities, Chitosan/PCL nanoparticles showed much better qualities as a protein delivery system since the rate of cells transfected were not very high.