Tulane/Xavier Vaccine Development/Engineering Project.

摘要

The Tulane/Xavier Biodefense Vaccine Development/Engineering project will develop new vaccines against biological threat agents to aid the war-fighter. Through the innovative use of nanotechnology, researchers and engineers from the Tulane University Schools of Medicine and Science & Engineering and the Xavier College of Pharmacy will fabricate nanoparticulate systems that are effective for transdermal and mucosal delivery of life-saving vaccines. One aim of this project will be to compare different nanocarriers (i.e., nanohydrogels, star copolymers, and spray-dried PLGA nanoparticles) for the ability to incorporate biological threat-relevant vaccine antigens and deliver those antigens through the stratum corneum to immune-responsive cells in the epidermis. The specialized assembly of each type of nanocarrier gives each unique properties and different interactions within the lipid channels of the stratum corneum. The use of nanocarriers for vaccine delivery is a platform technology, applicable to delivery of a variety of existing and potential vaccines.