Immunogen-Sponge Hydrogel Reverses TIM-3–Mediated Dendritic-Cell Exhaustion in Alveolar Echinococcosis

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) induces profound dendritic-cell dysfunction characterized by elevated TIM-3 expression and impaired antigen presentation. To overcome parasite-induced immunosuppression, we developed a SHIFT-engineered Immunogen-Sponge hydrogel vaccine incorporating protoscolex-derived antigens (PSAs). Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) were treated with saline, PSA, F127@PSA, or SHIFT-F127@PSA and subjected to transcriptome sequencing. Comparative transcriptomic analyses were performed to investigate dendritic-cell activation, antigen presentation, immune signaling pathways, and TIM-3-associated regulatory mechanisms.