Vaccine delivery systems using yeast cell wall particles

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to compositions and methods for delivering a vaccine. The compositions and methods disclosed herein are particularly useful in making prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition for delivering a vaccine, comprising (i) a particle; and (ii) an exogenous biological material loaded within the particle, wherein the biological material comprises a protein or a fragment thereof, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, tumor lysate, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particle is a yeast cell wall particle. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the biological material is tumor lysate. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the tumor lysate is obtained from tumor cell lines. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 2 , further comprises a silicate, wherein the yeast cell wall particle is modified by capping with the silicate. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein the silicate comprises an organic moiety attached to each of the four oxygen compounds of an orthosilicate. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein the silicate is selected from the group consisting of tetraethylorthosilicate, tetramethylorthosilicate, tetrapropylorthosilicate, and tetrabutylorthosilicate. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the biological material loaded particle is further incubated with an isolated dendritic cell prior to administration. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprises one or more adjuvants, excipients, and preservatives. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein the adjuvant is monophosphoryl lipid A or a CpG oligonucleotide. 
     
     
         11 . A method for producing an incubated dendritic cell containing a vaccine loaded particle, comprising:
 (i) loading a biological material into the particle to produce a biological material loaded particle;   (ii) freeze-drying the biological material loaded particle; and   (iii) incubating the biological material loaded particle with a dendritic cell, wherein the biological material comprises a protein or a fragment thereof, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, tumor lysate, or a combination thereof; and   wherein incubating the biological material loaded particle with the dendritic cell causes the dendritic cell to phagocytose the biological material loaded particle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising (a) resuspending the biological material loaded particle in solution and (b) freeze-drying the resuspended solution before step (iii). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein step (iii) comprises: (a) contacting the biological material loaded particle with the dendritic cell at a ratio of from about 1:1 to about 100:1, (b) incubating the biological material loaded particle with the dendritic cell; and (c) collecting the dendritic cell containing the loaded particle and washing the cell. 
     
     
         14 . A method for treating an infectious disease, comprising administering the composition of  claim 1  to a subject. 
     
     
         15 . A method for treating cancer, comprising administering the composition of  claim 1  to a subject. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of breast cancer, small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, glioma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumors, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer and ocular melanoma. 
     
     
         17 . A method for preparing a composition comprising a yeast cell wall particle and a silicate, comprising contacting the yeast cell wall particle with the silicate in the presence of ammonia such that the yeast cell wall particle is capped by the silicate. 
     
     
         18 . A method for producing a cell mixture containing a yeast cell wall particle loaded with a biological material and capped with a silicate, comprising:
 (i) loading a biological material into a yeast cell wall particle to produce a loaded particle;   (ii) capping the loaded particle with a silicate;   (iii) freeze-drying the capped, loaded particle; and   (iv) incubating the capped, loaded particle with a cell of monocytic origin   wherein the incubation causes the cell of monocytic origin to phagocytose the capped, loaded particle.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein step (i) comprises:
 (a) suspending a yeast cell wall particle and a biological material in a diluent and incubating for a period of time to allow the biological material to be absorbed by the yeast cell wall particle; and   (b) freeze-drying the suspension to load the biological material within the yeast cell wall particle.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein steps (a) and (b) are repeated at least once.