Factors affecting T cell responses induced by fully synthetic glyco-gold-nanoparticles

We have synthesized and characterized nearly monodisperse and highly pure gold nanoparticles (2 and
5 nm) coated with non-immunoactive mono- and disaccharides, modelled after the capsular
polysaccharide of serogroup A of the Neisseria meningitidis bacterium. We have used them to test their
ability to induce immune cell responses as a consequence of their multivalency. The results indicate that
they are indeed immunoactive and that immunoactivity is strongly dependent on size, and larger, 5 nm
nanoparticles perform far better than smaller, 2 nm ones. Immune response (activation of macrophages)
initiates with the whole nanoparticle recognition by the surface of antigen-presenting cells, independent
of the saccharide oligomerization (or charge) on the nanoparticle surface. The induction of T cell
proliferation and the increase of IL-2 levels, a consequence of the expression of MHC II involved in antigen
presentation, require the presence of a disaccharide on the nanoparticle, not just a monosaccharide. A
possible explanation is that, at this stage, the saccharides are detached from the gold surface. These
results may provide leads for designing new saccharide-based, nanoparticle-conjugate vaccines.