Reduction-sensitive polymer-shell-coated nanogels for intracellular delivery of antigens

Abstract

Nowadays, layer-by-layer assembled microsized particles receive interest as drug delivery systems. In the present study, we report nanosized hydrogels loaded with a protein antigen that are coated with a disulfide cross-linked polymer shell. These disulfide bonds are stable in the nonreducing extracellular environment, but are reduced in the intracellular environment. This in turn leads to disintegration of the polymer shell and subsequent antigen release. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability of these core-shell nanogels to boost the MHC class I antigen presentation by dendritic cells to CD8+ T cells.