Exploration of Immune Cell Activity Via Unique Mesoporous Silica Confirmations for use in Immunomodulatory Delivery Platforms.

Abstract

Various delivery platforms and immuno-modulatory therapies have been utilized over time to introduce bioactive substances to activate and direct the immune system. Vaccines and other immunotherapies have aimed to stimulate and regulate the immune system of the body to prevent and cure various health conditions and diseases through novel material application. Silica, in various forms, has historically been used as a delivery platform for potent targeted therapy. Mesoporous silica rods (MSRs) could centralize the immunological activity to the implant site. Physical modifications of the silica into rods have increasingly expanded the potential of this biomaterial as a delivery vehicle, the full scope of its abilities still under scrutiny. To explore these potential applications, forty female C57BL/6 mice, aged 6 to 8 weeks, were immunized to assess the change in cellular immunological responses. Mice were injected with the bio-loaded MSRs, and their injection sites were measured and observed for 21 days (about 3 weeks). Timepoint samples of blood were assessed for complete blood count at day 3, 7, 14, and 21 post treatment. The mice were necropsied on day 7 and 20 post treatment, and the targets were taken for analysis via flow cytometry. This study shows that the physical conformation of MSRs elicits similar responses, with unique cellular signatures from the two test conformations. By examining the cellular profiles of the various target organs, insight into modified populations raises further questions about the applications of various sized MSRs, and their ability to illicit immunologically compelling profiles.