Fig. 6: In vivo vaccination using ovalbumin-pulsed dendritic cell-loaded S-cryoMNs (OVA-DC S-cryoMNs).

A The timeline of mouse vaccination using OVA-DC S-cryoMNs. B Photos before and after the administration of two patches of OVA-DC S-cryoMNs to shaved mice. C Histological analysis of the depth of S-cryoMN penetration into mouse skin. Scale bar: 100 μm. D Photos of excised tumors from B16-OVA melanoma-bearing mice without or with vaccination with OVA-DC S-cryoMNs. E Tumor volume growth curves of B16-OVA melanoma-bearing mice without or with vaccination with OVA-DC S-cryoMNs. F Quantification of CD11c⁺CD86⁺ and CD11c⁺ MHCII⁺ DCs inside the excised draining lymph nodes without or with vaccination with OVA-DC S-cryoMNs. G Proliferation of and (H) secretion of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by splenocytes from vaccinated mice after restimulation with 50 µg/ml OVA. I The activity of OVA-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) without or with vaccination by OVA-DC S-cryoMNs. The cytotoxic effects of splenocytes (effector cells) on B16-OVA cells (target cells) were analyzed at different effector cell-to-target cell ratios (E:T ratios). Each group included four independent animals. *p ≤ 0.05, **p ≤ 0.01, ***p ≤ 0.001, ****p ≤ 0.0001; ns no significant difference. n = 4.