Degradation Kinetics Determine Intrinsic Immune Activity of Rapidly Degradable Polycations

摘要

Rapidly degrading polymers such as PBAEs degrade in acidic conditions similar to those in tumor microenvironments and in endosomes of DCs following uptake. Of note, our results demonstrate that as PBAEs degrade, the size of the particles made from degraded fragments changes and that these larger particles are able to more efficiently activate DCs. Ongoing studies will determine the link between rapidly degrading polymers and in vivo function of DCs and T cells. Understanding the link that physicochemical properties of biomaterials (e.g., MW, hydrophobicity) have on immune cells as these materials degrade could allow for more rational design of future vaccine and immunotherapy carriers that elicit particular immune response characteristics based on carrier properties.