Nanotechnology in vaccine development: a step forward.
The study of nanotechnology for epicutaneous delivery of pharmaceuticals and vaccines is burgeoning. Topically applied nanomaterials have been shown to enter tape-stripped skin and reach draining lymph nodes in an inbred strain of mice. Nanomaterials in the form of plasmid DNA, proteins, and virus particles accumulate in hair follicles, diffuse via dendritic cells to draining lymph nodes, and elicit antigen-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Topically immunized mice have also demonstrated resistance to infection with live virus. Advantages of nanotechnology include uniformity, reproducibility, and precision in the synthesis and manufacture of candidate compounds. Combined with novel pharmacokinetics and the possibility of targeted therapy, nanotechnology-based vaccines may prove superior to existing vaccines and have the potential to open therapeutic avenues for treating infectious disease and malignancy.
Department of Dermatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27544, USA. anasir@pol.net
Adnan
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Nasir
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000627:therapeutic use; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000639:trends*; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000639:trends*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000378:metabolism; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014612:Vaccines