3B and C). Cells induced by co-encapsulated R848 and OVA exhibited a higher proliferative potential than when either free R848 or free OVA was utilized, as evidenced by in vitro expansion of OVA-specific CD8+ T cells (Fig. 3D) and their cytotoxic activity (Fig. 3E). The in vivo cytotoxic activity was assessed at 6 days after a single injection of nanoparticle-encapsulated or free OVA in the presence or absence of free or nanoparticle-encapsulated R848. SIINFEKL-pulsed syngeneic target cells were eliminated efficiently in vivo only if both OVA and

R848 were delivered in encapsulated form (Fig. 3F). The level of in vivo cytotoxic activity was maintained for several days after a single injection (data not shown). The admix of nanoparticle-encapsulated OVA with free R848 or the admix of free OVA buy Alisertib Temozolomide with nanoparticle-encapsulated

R848 induced poor in vivo cytotoxic activity (Fig. 3F). R848-bearing nanoparticles induced a profound increase in cellularity within the draining lymph nodes at 4 days after a single inoculation (Fig. 3A). Further analysis of cellularity within the draining lymph nodes after s.c. injection showed that LN infiltration starts as early as 1 day after inoculation, reaches a peak at 7–8 days, and is maintained for at least 3 weeks (Table 1 and Table 2). The increase in lymph node cellularity was even more rapid and pronounced in mice that were previously immunized with SVP (10-fold increase in the popliteal LN cell count at 1 day after inoculation, Table 2). No significant cell infiltration of the draining lymph node was seen if SVP lacking R848 were used either alone or admixed with free R848 (Table 1). A detailed analysis of intranodal cell populations after SVP-R848 injection showed a rapid increase in the number of innate

immune cells, such as granulocytes and myeloid DC, in the draining LN, with their numbers increasing 3-fold within 24 h after a single injection (Table 3). There was also an early elevation in macrophage cell numbers in the draining lymph node, while increases in other APC subtypes (plasmacytoid DC and B cells) were observed at a slightly later time-point. Interestingly, among the populations analyzed, only nearly effector cells of the adaptive immune response (T and B cells) showed a continued expansion from day 4 to day 7 (Table 3). Strong local immune activation by nanoparticle-encapsulated R848 was further manifested by cytokine production in the draining LN milieu (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5). At 4 h after subcutaneous injection, high levels of IFN-?, RANTES, IL-12(p40) and IL-1ß were secreted by LNs from animals injected with SVP-OVA-R848, while the production of these cytokines by LNs from mice injected with free R848 was close to the background level (Fig. 4).