Pulmonary delivery of cationic gold nanoparticles boost antigen-specific CD4+ T Cell Proliferation

CD4+ T cell proliferation in lung draining lymph nodes was measured after intra-nasal instillation of positively charged (NH2) and negatively charged (COOH) gold nanoparticles or polymer shells alone followed by ovalbumin in naïve mice (upper panel). Positively charged gold nanoparticles induced enhanced ovalbumin specific T cell proliferation compared to controls (PBS-exposed), negatively charged gold nanoparticles or positively charged polymer alone (lower panel). This and other findings of the present study highlight the importance of surface charge of a biomedical nanoparticles in modulating a specific adaptive immune response.83