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DRUG DELIVERY

Targeting immune cells within lymph nodes

Nature Nanotechnology volume 15, pages 423–425 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Increased delivery to immune cells in the cortex and paracortex of the lymph node can be achieved by conjugating cargo to nanoparticles via linkers that release at programmable rates.

Advances in our understanding of immunomodulation have resulted in the exploration and development of a range of new therapeutics to treat and prevent conditions such as cancer, immune and metabolic disease, infection and allergy. Immunotherapeutic strategies require engagement with immune cells, including B cells, T cells and antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs). Delivery to immune cells is challenging as they are unevenly distributed in the body and concentrated in specific regions of the lymph nodes and lymphoid organs, which are difficult to access via traditional drug delivery routes through the blood. Writing in this issue of Nature Nanotechnology, Alex Schudel et al. describe a two-stage approach to maximize drug delivery to the lymph nodes and to lymph-node-resident immune cells, inspired by the trafficking route of particulate antigens1.

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Fig. 1: Two-stage delivery to lymph-node-resident immune cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

    Christopher J. H. Porter & Natalie L. Trevaskis

  2. ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

    Christopher J. H. Porter

Authors
  1. Christopher J. H. Porter
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  2. Natalie L. Trevaskis
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Correspondence to Christopher J. H. Porter or Natalie L. Trevaskis.

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Competing interests

The authors are inventors of an oral lymph targeting technology platform licenced from Monash University to PureTech Health.

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Porter, C.J.H., Trevaskis, N.L. Targeting immune cells within lymph nodes. Nat. Nanotechnol. 15, 423–425 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-020-0663-z

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