Recently, the concept of “innate memory” has been proposed [4] and [5] and has also inspired the design of vaccination approaches

focused on the stimulation of innate immunity. Several fish vaccines against viral or bacterial diseases, most of which comprise inactivated pathogens are now available selleck screening library [6]. However, researchers are working intensively to enhance vaccine efficiency by developing new vaccines, containing adjuvants and immunostimulants [7], and new formulations based on encapsulation [8], [9], [10], [11] and [12]. Encapsulating vaccines makes them more stable to the environment and to low pH and/or enzymatic reactions inside the treated organism [12] and [13]. Among the various encapsulation systems available, liposomes are especially attractive, as they are biocompatible and highly tuneable [14]; can actually enhance the efficacy of the vaccine, as has been reported in fish [15] and [16]; and can be used as labels to enable in vitro or in vivo tracking of the vaccine. Another factor

that researchers are endeavouring to improve in fish vaccines is administration, which is typically done by injection in adults. Research efforts are focused on creating non-stressful, easy to manage and low-cost vaccination GSK1210151A mouse protocols to improve large-scale procedures based on immersion rather than on injection [6] and [17]. Our group recently developed nanoliposomes (called NLcliposomes) for simultaneous wide-spectrum anti-bacterial and anti-viral protection of farm-raised fish. First, we co-encapsulate two general immunostimulants: bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and poly(I:C), a synthetic analogue of dsRNA viruses. Then, we demonstrated that the NLc liposomes

Cell press were taken up in vitro by macrophages and that they regulated the expression of immunologically relevant genes (likely, by triggering innate immune signalling pathways) [18]. In the work reported here, we studied the biodistribution and immunological efficacy of NLc liposomes in zebrafish in vivo. We chose zebrafish as the model organism for the in vivo assays for multiple reasons: they have been widely used to study the pathogenicity of different fish and human pathogens; they have innate and adaptive immune systems; and they are easy to breed and handle [19]. We adapted a non-invasive imaging method widely used in mammalian models [20] and [21], and then used it to track the nanoliposomes in adult zebrafish in vivo. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this method being applied to live zebrafish. In addition, we studied which cells were preferentially targeted by the NLc liposomes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), by performing ex vivo analysis of the main immune relevant tissues. We also developed a new model for infection of adult zebrafish by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen in fish and in humans [22] and [23].