Author: Nechaeva, Elena

Source: Expert Review of Vaccines, Volume 1, Number 3, October 2002 , pp. 385-397(13)

Publisher: Expert Reviews

Abstract:

Rapid development in biotechnology during the last decade has allowed novel ideas in the development of antiviral vaccines to be considered and provides interesting technological approaches to their realization. Designing of microencapsulated forms for delivering bacterial and viral antigens or antigenic complexes using biodegradable biopolymers is an important novel direction. This approach involves the production of polymeric spherical particles with a diameter of 1 mm to 3 mm, containing isolated viral antigens or whole viral particles. Microencapsulated antigens administered orally are protected from low pH values of the gastric juice, bile acids, their salts and proteolytic enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract. The ability to drastically potentiate the immune response to encapsulated antigens, together with the ability to penetrate into the intestinal and respiratory mucosae upon oral and tracheal administrations, respectively, with induction of local and systemic immune reactions are the special merits of such polymers. However, the majority of data on microencapsulated viral vaccines has so far been obtained in animal models, as well as a limited number of studies on the protective effect they elicit. Certain success in the development of vaccines against a number of human viral infections, such as hepatitis B, cytomegalovirus and rotavirus, gives hope to successful completion of this research. Presumably, such vaccines will be safe and innocuous, simple in administration and capable of inducing both the systemic and local immune responses at the primary portal of viral infection.

Keywords: immune system; microencapsulation; mucosal secretory immunity; pH-dependent polymer viruses; viral vaccines

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1586/14760584.1.3.385

Publication date: 2002-10-01

More about this publication?

• Expert Review of Vaccines provides expert reviews on the clinical effectiveness of new vaccines. Coverage includes vaccine technology, vaccine adjuvants, prophylactic vaccines, therapeutic vaccines, AIDS vaccines and vaccines in bioterrorism.
• Editorial Board
• Information for Authors
• Submit a Paper
• Subscribe to this Title
• Information for Advertisers
• Terms & Conditions
• Information for Librarians
• Free Trials
• ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Technology ,  Medicine ,  Medicine (General)
• By this author: Nechaeva, Elena

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers