Dynamic and Tunable Hydrogel for Extended Co-Delivery of Subunit Influenza Vaccine

The robust material properties of a dynamic, self-healing, and injectable hydrogel make this drug delivery platform ideal for sustained release of subunit vaccine components to enhance the body’s immune response to difficult vaccine candidates. Cargo spatial and temporal exposure in the body and immune cell interaction can be coordinated by tuning hydrogel dynamic and structural characteristics. We have designed a supramolecular polymer-nanoparticle (PNP) hydrogel whose composition can be altered to tune slow release of vaccine cargos into the body, enabling a more potent, durable, and high-quality immune response. The PNP hydrogel is formed by dynamic noncovalent interactions between PEG-b-PLA nanoparticles and dodecyl-modified hydroxypropyl methylcellulose polymers. Adjusting hydrogel formulation affects the diffusion and dynamic mesh size of the polymer network, affording precise control over the encapsulation and release of molecular cargo. In this presentation we will discuss the development of PNP materials, the dependence of cargo diffusivity on hydrogel composition, and the influence of cargo release on vaccine efficacy. We will describe the use of PNP hydrogels for sustained delivery of a subunit influenza vaccine comprising components of varying molecular weight and chemical composition. Characterization of cargo diffusivity in PNP networks lends an understanding of the release profiles of vaccine cargoes and a deeper knowledge of the dynamics of polymer-particle interactions in a supramolecular network. We will demonstrate the ability to modulate the material properties of our unique supramolecular hydrogel to produce an effective in vivo drug delivery platform.