Recent Advances in Nanovaccines Using Biomimetic Immunomodulatory Materials

Vijayan, Veena; Mohapatra, Adityanarayan; Uthaman, Saji; Park, In-Kyu

Ferritin is a protein that protects cells from damage caused by Fenton reactions, in which iron catalyzes hydrogen peroxide, and converts it into highly toxic hydroxyl radical. Under oxidizing conditions, harmful reactive oxygen species are produced from free Fe (II), which can damage cellular machinery [78] . Ferritin has a hollow structure, and the ability to store iron within this hollow cavity; thus, it acts as a storage system for iron [79] . Ferritin can self-assemble into spherical nanostructures and be used to fuse with the influenza virus haemagglutinin (HA) genetically, and the recombined protein spontaneously assembles into a particle of octahedral symmetry. This reforms into eight trimeric HA spikes, and elicits a stronger immune response, compared to an inactivated trivalent influenza virus [80] . Another type of self-assembling protein is the major vault protein (MVP). Champion et al. [81] reported that 96 units of the MVP self-assemble to form a barrel-shaped vault NP of length 70 nm and width 40 nm.