季铵化氨基葡聚糖纳米颗粒作为安全有效亚单位疫苗的佐剂平台

Abstract

The persistent mutation and global dissemination of epidemic viruses pose major threats to public health, driving demand for safer vaccine strategies. While subunit vaccines offer enhanced safety by using defined antigens, their weak immunogenicity necessitates the use of adjuvants. Traditional adjuvants such as aluminum salts, however, often raise safety concerns. In this study, a nanoparticle-engineered subunit vaccine was presented using quaternized aminated glucan (QAG) as adjuvant and Omicron S protein as antigen. QAG nanoparticles exhibited strong protein-loading capacity and promoted efficient antigen uptake by macrophages through electrostatic interactions, significantly upregulating CD80, CD86, and MHC II expression. In vivo , Omicron/QAG immunization induced robust humoral and cellular responses, including a 2.71-fold increase in IgG levels compared to Omicron alone, along with enhanced activation of T cells, B cells, and NK cells. Neutralization assays confirmed improved protection against the Omicron B.1.1.529 strain. Furthermore, QAG demonstrated excellent safety in cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays. These findings highlight QAG as a safe and effective nanoparticle adjuvant that enhances the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines, providing a promising platform for next-generation vaccine development.