Concerning the generation of antibodies against fullerene C^{60 core}

A. Garmanova, A. Petrukhina, E. Milko, V. Romanovaa, A. Babakhin, and S. Andreev

NRC Institute of Immunology, 115478 Moscow, Russia aNesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, 119991 Moscow, Russia

The purpose of this study is to investigate the immunogenic and allergenic activities of water-soluble modifications of fullerene C60 including its hydrated molecular-colloidal form (FMC). Various C60 compounds containing amino acid pendants (Ala, Ser, ?-Acp, ?-Aba, and Arg), proteins (BSA, KLH, ovalbumin, aldolase) as well as palmitoylated proteins, conjugated via ?-Acp-spacer were synthesized to use their as intraperitoneal immunogens in mice. Assay of anti-mouse sera using an immunoenzyme technique (ELISA) demonstrated no specific anti-C60 antibody production for both IgG and IgE classes. In contrast, marked antibody production to pendant compounds and their structural analogues was noted. For instance, the antibody response observed for the C60-protein conjugates was related to the immunogenic activity of spacer molecule ?-aminocaproic acid (?-Acp). There was no IgE-inducing or histamine-releasing activity of fullerene amino acid derivatives when assessed by specific IgE and the fiberglass-based histamine release assay used as an indicator of allergenic activity. Thus, the C60 core evidently does not form a specific epitope. Our many attempts to reveal immunostimulating (adjuvant) effect as result of the fullerene covalent conjugation or non-covalent complexation to proteins were unsuccessful. Thus, fullerene core does not appear to be immunogenic site. Taking in consideration of good membrane penetration activity and the absence of immune toxicity, the water-soluble fullerene compounds are potentially ideal measure for drug and vaccine delivery.

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