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Using the DNA-chitosan complex as vaccine nanoparticle in cancer

Abstract

Duong Le Thi Thuy, Phuc Pham Van, Lua Dang Thi Minh, Huyen La Thi, Anh Tu Thi, Huan Le Quang

Development of effective cancer vaccine targeting HER2 can improve HER2-specific immunity in cancer cells with HER2 overexpression. In recent years, nanocarriers for gene delivery become a potential strategy in cancer treatment. Cationic polymers have been used as gene carriers. Chitosan has been used with some advances such as biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, minimal cytotoxicity and interacts with negatively charged DNA resulting in nanoparticles of various sizes. The aim of this study was to develop DNA vaccine nanoparticle and to investigate the immune response in rabbit. Human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor extracellular domain (HER2 EDC) was cloned into the cytomegalovirus promoter-based constitutive expression vector pcDNA.31, resulting in a DNA vaccine vector named pcDNA3.1-EDC. This vector was used to formulate plasmid DNA-chitosan nanoparticle (PDCN) complex using coacervation method. Characterization of these nanoparticles as the morphology, size and zeta potential was observed with sizes of 209 nm, unform size distribution, and spherical shape, and encapsulation efficiency about 57%. This study also investigated the efficiency of plasmid DNA-chitosan nanoparticle complex, showing a higher level of HER2 protein in rabbit serum when PDCN were injected intramuscularly as compared with control and naked DNA. Besides that, Immunoglobulin G (IgG) results showed that, nanochitosan solution is nontoxic and can be used as a good gene delivery system for cancer therapy.

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