Skin microenvironment targeted delivery for promoting immune and other responses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025387470-A1
Application number	US-202519311973-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2025
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods are provided for promoting, reducing, or desensitizing various immune responses by delivery of sub-immunogenic doses of an allergen, alone or with other agents, or by delivery of antigens and adjuvants to a cutaneous microenvironment of a subject. Microneedle arrays can be used in connection with this delivery.

First claim

1 . A method for promoting a pro-inflammatory and an adaptive immune response to provide a positive immunization against tumors and infectious diseases to a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:
administering an antigen and at least one adjuvant in a cutaneous microenvironment of the subject, thereby promoting the pro-inflammatory and adaptive immune response in the subject.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein administering the antigen and at least one adjuvant comprises the use of one or more microneedle arrays containing the antigen and the at least one adjuvant therein.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more adjuvants comprise proinflammatory tachykinins.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the proinflammatory tachykinins comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of substance-P and analogs, Hemokinin-A and analogs, Neurokinin-B and analogs, bradykinin and analogs, vascular intestinal peptide and analogs, and calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) and analogs.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more adjuvants comprise toll-like receptor-ligands (TLRs).

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more adjuvants comprise pro-inflammatory cytokines.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the pro-inflammatory cytokines comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 family of proteins, IL-12, IL-18, and IL-33.

8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein administering the antigen and at least one adjuvant comprises the use of one or more microneedle arrays containing the antigen and the at least one adjuvant therein.

9 . A method for promoting an immune response to a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:
administering an antigen and at least one adjuvant in a cutaneous microenvironment of the subject, thereby promoting the immune response in the subject.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of proinflammatory tachykinins, toll-like receptor-ligands (TLR-s), and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one adjuvant comprises at least one proinflammatory tachykinin selected from the group consisting of substance-P and analogs, Hemokinin-A and analogs, Neurokinin-B and analogs, bradykinin and analogs, vascular intestinal peptide and analogs, and calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) and analogs.

Assignees

• Univ Pittsburgh Commonwealth Sys Higher Education

Inventors

• Falo Jr Louis D
• De Morelli Adriana Teresita Larregina

Classifications

• A61K2039/577

  tolerising response · CPC title

• A61K38/046

  Tachykinins, e.g. eledoisins, substance P; Related peptides · CPC title

• A61K2039/545

  characterised by the dose, timing or administration schedule · CPC title

• A61K39/001

  Preparations to induce tolerance to non-self, e.g. prior to transplantation · CPC title

• A61K2039/555

  characterised by a specific combination antigen/adjuvant · CPC title