Development of poly(anhydride) nanoparticles loaded with peanut proteins: The influence of preparation method on the immunogenic properties

Allergen-specific immunotherapy is based on the administration of allergens with the main disadvantage of inducing an allergic reaction. Within this context, we report the generation of an adjuvant and allergen-delivery system for peanut allergen immunotherapy with reduced IgE induction. Therefore, we prepared and characterized poly(anhydride) nanoparticles loaded with peanut proteins using the solvent displacement method, with some modifications in the manufacturing process. The precipitation of polymer was performed with either a mixture of ethanol and water or water. The resultant nanoparticles were dried by either freeze-drying or spray-drying, respectively. Poly(anhydride) nanoparticles loaded with peanut proteins were successfully developed, achieving both high encapsulation efficiency (70-80%) and manufacturing yield (60-80%). After intradermal immunization of mice (C57Bl/6) with peanut proteins incorporated into poly(anhydride) nanoparticles, a strong mixed T(H)1/T(H)2-type immune response was observed. Furthermore, we also provide, to our knowledge for the first time, clear evidence of the influence of formulation design on the immunostimulatory properties of nanoparticles. Taken together, our findings indicate that poly(anhydride) nanoparticles are efficient stimulators of immune responses and promising adjuvants and allergen-delivery systems applied for immunotherapy.