Recent years have seen extremely fast development of new viral
nanovaccines and diagnostic agents using nanostructures prepared by
biological and chemical synthesis. We used spherical
gold nanoparticles (average diameter, 15 nm) as a platform for the
antigen for
swine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV). The literature data demonstrate that immunization of animals with the TGEV
antigen coupled to
gold nanoparticles (GNPs) not only activates antigen-presenting cells but also increases the proliferative activity of splenic lymphoid (antibody-forming) cells. The contents of γ-IFN, IL-1β, and
IL-6 in animals immunized with GNP-
antigen conjugates were found to be higher than those in intact animals or in animals given the
antigen alone. The increased concentration of IL-1β in the immunized animals directly correlated with the activity of macrophages and stimulated B cells, which produce this
cytokine when activated. The increased concentration of
IL-6 indicates that the injected preparations are stimulatory to cellular immunity. Immunization with the TGEV
antigen conjugated to GNPs as a carrier activates the respiratory activity of lymphoid cells and peritoneal macrophages, which is directly related to their transforming activity and to the activation of antibody generation. Furthermore, the use of this conjugate allows marked improvement of the structure of the animals' immune organs and restores the morphological-functional state of these organs. The microanatomical changes (increased number of follicles) indicate the activation of the B-dependent zone of the spleen and, consequently, the development of a humoral-type immunological reaction. The degradative processes observed in the animals immunized with TGEV
antigen alone are evidence of weak resistance to pathogen attack. These results can be used to develop
vaccines against this
infection by employing TGEV
antigen coupled to
gold nanoparticles as a carrier.