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Abstract
Although polymeric nanoparticles/microparticles are well established for the mucosal administration of conventional drugs, they have not yet been developed commercially for vaccine delivery. The limitation of the mucosal (particularly oral) route of delivery, including low pH, gastric enzymes, rapid transit and poor absorption of large molecules, has made mucosal vaccine delivery challenging. Nevertheless, several polymeric delivery systems for mucosal vaccine delivery are currently being evaluated. The polymer-based approaches are designed to protect the antigen in the gut, to target the antigen to the gut-associated lymphoid tissue or to increase the residence time of the antigen in the gut through bioadhesion. M-cell targeting is a potential approach for mucosal vaccine delivery, which can be achieved using M-cell-specific lectins, microbial adhesins or immunoglobulins. While many hurdles must be overcome before targeted mucosal vaccine delivery becomes a practical reality, this is a potential area of research that has important implications for future vaccine development. This review comprises various aspects that could be decisive in the development of polymer based mucosal vaccine delivery systems.
Acknowledgements
The cited research work of Suresh P Vyas is supported by various grants from Department of Biotechnology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and University Grant Commission, New Delhi, India. Prem N Gupta acknowledges All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi, for the award of National Doctoral Fellowship (Grant: 1-10/FD/ NDF-PG/H.S.Gour (44)/2005–2006). We are also grateful to Sophisticated Analytical Instrumental Facility, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and New Delhi, India, for the electron microscopy.