Oral Vaccine Delivery Systems Targeting M-Cell Pathways

Oral vaccination aims to induce both mucosal and systemic immunity by delivering antigens across the intestinal barrier. Central to this approach are microfold (M) cells, specialised epithelial cells overlaying Peyer’s patches that transcytose antigens from the gut lumen to underlying immune cells. Early strategies focused on particulate carriers such as polymeric microparticles and liposomes to shield antigens from gastric acid and enzymatic degradation while promoting M-cell uptake. Advances in nanocarrier design now allow fine-tuning of size, surface charge and ligand decoration to exploit receptor-mediated endocytosis. Ligands derived from bacterial toxins, lectins or antibodies have been conjugated to nanoparticles to confer M-cell specificity. Complementary use of adjuvants stabilises antigen presentation and amplifies immune signalling. The global impact of this field lies in its potential for needle-free mass immunisation and improved vaccine access in low-resource settings. Integration of protective carrier technologies, M-cell targeting moieties and mucosal adjuvants exemplifies a systems-level approach to overcoming the harsh gastrointestinal environment and eliciting durable protective responses.

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Oral Vaccine Delivery Systems Targeting M-Cell Pathways publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in oral vaccine delivery systems targeting m-cell pathways across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

M cell: Specialized epithelial cell in the follicle-associated epithelium that transports antigens from the gut lumen to immune cells in Peyer’s patches.

Peyer’s patches: Organized lymphoid follicles in the small intestine that serve as induction sites for mucosal immune responses.

Nanocarrier: Nano-scale delivery vehicle (e.g. liposome, polymeric nanoparticle) engineered to protect antigens and facilitate cellular uptake.

Liposome: Spherical vesicle composed of phospholipid bilayers used to encapsulate antigens and adjuvants for enhanced mucosal delivery.

Adjuvant: Immune-stimulating agent co-administered with an antigen to enhance the magnitude and quality of the immune response.

Claudin-4: Tight-junction protein expressed on M cells that can be targeted by specific ligands to promote transcytosis of vaccine antigens.

References

1. Recent Developments in Oral Delivery of Vaccines Using Nanocarriers. Vaccines (2023).
2. Nanocarriers-Assisted Needle-Free Vaccine Delivery Through Oral and Intranasal Transmucosal Routes: A Novel Therapeutic Conduit. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2022).
3. Cloning, expression, purification and interaction evaluation of 30 amino acids in C terminus of Clostridium perfringens toxin with its receptor Claudin-4. Science and Technology Development Journal - Natural Sciences (2019).
4. Nano and Microparticles as Potential Oral Vaccine Carriers and Adjuvants Against Infectious Diseases. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021).
5. Liposome as Mucosal Vaccine Drug Delivery System. Farmasains Jurnal Farmasi dan Ilmu Kesehatan (2022).