Modulation of immune responses following antigen administration by mucosal route

Abstract

Most microbial infections are either restricted to the mucosal membranes or the etiologic agents needed to transit the mucosa. Thus, it is desirable to stimulate a mucosal response following vaccination, to block both infection and disease development. Attenuated vaccine carriers mimic natural infections, triggering also mucosal responses. Similar results can be achieved by administering antigens with appropriate adjuvants. However, the delivery of antigens per se is not sufficient to engender a protective response. A successful immunization requires the elicitation of an appropriate type of immune response (e.g. antibodies vs. cell-mediated immunity, Th1 vs. Th2 helper pattern). Therefore, a successful vaccination strategy demands the choice of adequate antigens, and their appropriate delivery and/or formulation to promote the required quality of immune response. Different strategies to optimize the immune responses elicited following vaccine administration by the mucosal route are discussed.

The Bacterial Second Messenger cdiGMP Exhibits Promising Activity as a Mucosal Adjuvant

“…There is also increasing interest in the therapeutic use of vaccines against infection, cancer, and chronic inflammatory diseases (7,28). Most pathogens enter the host via the mucosa.…”

MV140, a sublingual polyvalent bacterial preparation to treat recurrent urinary tract infections, licenses human dendritic cells for generating Th1, Th17, and IL-10 responses via Syk and MyD88

“…Bacterial vaccines may contain soluble antigens (bacterial components or lysates) 8,9 or inactivated whole bacteria from one or more species or strains. [10][11][12] Mucosal bacterial vaccines for RUTIs were initially administrated orally, but more recently the sublingual delivery route has been also assayed. 1,8,12 The sublingual epithelium contains a dense network of dendritic cells (DCs) that play an essential role in linking innate and adaptive immune responses.…”

Oral Vaccination with Subunit Vaccines Protects Animals against Aerosol Infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis

“…There are obvious advantages to choosing a simple oral administration over injection as the route of vaccination for a vaccine that may be administered to a very large number of recipients, especially in areas where human immunodeficiency virus is endemic and the use of needles entails increased risk. However, few vaccines which have been administered by the mucosal route are able to stimulate effective cell-mediated immune responses, the exceptions being invasive bacterial vaccines (23,35). Indeed, most studies have assessed efficacy solely by the ability to induce a humoral response (12).…”