Oral vaccine delivery

Oral vaccination of animals and man, to provide effective mucosal and/or systemic immunity, is largely ineffective. This is due mainly to the very small quantity of antigen that survives degradation in the intestine and that crosses the intestinal wall. Over the past decade or so, a number of proteins have been identified that are effective at eliciting mucosal and systemic immune responses following oral administration. Uptake of these molecules by the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) epithelium is dependent upon specific binding to the GIT epithelial cells. The identity of these molecules is discussed, as well as their possible application as 'carriers' for co-transporting haptens. proteins and nanoparticles across the GIT epithelium. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.