Nanoparticle-stabilized Pickering emulsions as vaccine delivery carriers: a review

Abstract

Nanoparticle-stabilized Pickering emulsions (PEs) have recently emerged as a transformative class of soft nanostructures bridging colloid science and biomedical engineering. Distinct from conventional surfactant-stabilized or polymer-stabilized emulsions, PEs are stabilized by solid particles irreversibly adsorbed at the oil–water interface. The modular architecture of PEs allows fine-tuning of the droplet size, surface wettability, and interfacial charge, which dictate antigen loading, depot formation, and uptake by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). The ability of PEs to combine structural stability, controlled release, and immune potentiation offers clear advantages over lipid and polymer nanocarriers. This review critically examines the latest advances in PE design, particle chemistry, and structure–function relationships that govern vaccine delivery efficacy across multiple administration routes, including intramuscular, subcutaneous, mucosal, and intratumoral delivery. Emphasis is placed on correlating the interfacial nanomaterial properties with the active immunological mechanisms, such as APC recruitment, cytokine secretion, and memory T-cell activation. Finally, we highlight ongoing challenges and outline future opportunities to engineer stimuli-responsive PEs for next-generation vaccine platforms.