Gold-Based Mucosal Nanovaccines

Abstract

The development of new, efficacious subunit vaccines depends on the availability of adjuvants and delivery vehicles that favor proper antigen delivery and immunostimulation, able to provoke robust adaptive immune responses. Moreover, vaccines administered by non-parenteral routes are highly desirable due to costs reduction and high patient compliance. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are biocompatible materials that can be conjugated with antigens, rendering attractive vaccine candidates. In this chapter, the state of the art on the development of AuNPs-based vaccines is transmitted along with a description of the synthesis and bioconjugation approaches applied in this technology. Promising AuNPs-based vaccine candidates developed thus far comprise vaccines against influenza, glanders, and tetanus; these vaccine candidates have been characterized at the preclinical level with promising findings in terms of protection against the target disease in animal models. Key perspectives for this field are also identified.