Immune Profiling of Polysaccharide Submicron Vesicles

Alginate-(ALG) and chitosan-(CS) have been extensively used for biomedical applications; however, data relative to immune responses exerted by them are scarce. We synthesized a submicron vesicle system (SV) displaying a CS shell over an ALG core. Intravenous injection of these promising carriers could be a possible route of delivery; therefore, we evaluated their impact on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). By this ex vivo approach, we established how SV chemical-physical characteristics affected the immune cells in terms of cellular uptake, viability and state of activation. By flow cytometry, we demonstrated that SVs were internalized by PBMCs with differential trends. No substantial necrotic and apoptotic signals were recorded and SVs weakly affected activation status of PBMCs (concerning the markers CD69, CD25, CD80 and the cytokines TNF-α and IL-6), showing high immune biocompatibility and low immunomodulating properties. Our findings gain particular value towards the biomedical applications of SVs, and make these polymer-based structures more attractive for translation into clinical uses.