Physical properties of ordered mesoporous SBA-15 silica as immunological adjuvant

This work reports a detailed analysis of the ordered mesoporous SBA-15 silica synthesis procedure that provides a matrix with mean pore diameter around 10 nm. The encapsulation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by four different methods allowed the determination of the best imbibition condition, which is keeping the mixture under rest and solvent evaporation. Simulation of the in situ SAXS scattered intensity of the BSA release in potassium buffer solution, gastrointestinal fluids revealed a slow evolution of BSA content, independent of the media. Proton induced x-ray emission results obtained in calcined mouse organs revealed that silica is only present in the spleen after 35 days and is completely eliminated from all mouse organs after 10 weeks. Biological studies showed that Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 is an effective adjuvant when compared to the traditional Al(OH)₃, and is non-toxic to mice, rats, dogs and even cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells. Recent studies showed that the immunological response is improved by enhancing the inflammatory response and the recruitment of immune competent cells to the site of injection as by the oral route and, most importantly, by increasing the number of phagocytes of a particulate antigen by antigen presenting cells. (paper)