Selecta Biosciences Inc.
Developing vaccines based on polymer nanoparticles
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
The technology platform that Selecta Biosciences Inc. hopes will create new vaccines combines biodegradable polymers, formulated as nanoparticles, that can be processed in such a way that they “self-assemble” along with antigens and synthetic elements into complexes able to evoke clinically relevant immune responses. Selecta says its nanoparticles stimulate a human immune response similar to that roused by naturally occurring pathogens, perhaps because they are similar in size to a virus and because antigen is arrayed on the outside to optimally interact with the body’s B cells. On the inside, the nanoparticles contain what Selecta considers a “proprietary and universal” T-cell antigen intended to elicit a strong memory T-cell response. The interior of the company’s nanoparticles also contain a TLR, or Toll-like receptor, agonist meant to act as an adjuvant.