Advances in Cationic Nanoparticles for Vaccine Delivery: Design, Mechanisms, and Applications

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Biologics and Biosimilars".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 165

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: drug delivery strategies; in vitro biological assays; vaccines; mucosal delivery; animal experimentation

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Cummings Life Science Center, University of Chicago, 920 E 58th St., Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Interests: antimicrobial cationic polymer; vaccine; molecular; host and bacterial genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cationic nanoparticles (cNPs) and adjuvants are emerging as transformative tools in vaccine research, offering innovative solutions to enhance antigen delivery and immunogenicity. Their positive charge facilitates strong electrostatic interactions with negatively charged cell membranes, promoting efficient cellular uptake and improved antigen presentation. These properties make cNPs well suited for delivering diverse vaccine types, including protein-based, viral vector, and nucleic acid vaccines. At the same time, cationic adjuvants amplify immune responses, enabling robust and long-lasting immunity with reduced doses and fewer administrations.

Given the pressing need for effective vaccine platforms to address global health challenges, this Special Issue, “Advances in Cationic Nanoparticles for Vaccine Delivery: Design, Mechanisms, and Applications”, invites cutting-edge research on the development, characterization, and application of cationic nanoparticles and adjuvants. The Special Issue seeks to address fundamental and translational aspects to accelerate next-generation vaccine innovation for both prophylactic and therapeutic applications.

We particularly encourage contributions that achieve the following:

  • Focus on vaccines for high-priority global health targets, including both infectious diseases (e.g., HIV, malaria, tuberculosis) and therapeutic applications like cancer.
  • Explore how cNPs can support dose-sparing strategies, improve accessibility, or enhance vaccine stability outside cold-chain environments.
  • Integrate experimental and computational approaches to enhance understanding and predict vaccine safety and efficacy.

Dr. Lídia Maria Diogo Gonçalves
Dr. Yunys Pérez-Betancourt
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cationic nanoparticles
  • vaccine delivery systems
  • adjuvants
  • antigen presentation
  • nanoparticle synthesis
  • immune modulation
  • toxicity and biocompatibility
  • nucleic acid vaccines
  • protein-based vaccines
  • nanoparticle–immune cell interaction
  • surface functionalization
  • biodegradability
  • translational challenges
  • systems biology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop