Researchers reimagine oral hygiene practices, developing a floss-based vaccination method
In a groundbreaking development, researchers have discovered that flossing with vaccine-coated dental floss could potentially serve as a needle-free method for disease prevention, particularly against viruses like influenza.
The study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, explores the potential of a "universal" flu vaccine using gold nanoparticles tagged with a conserved flu peptide (M2e). When tested on mice, all vaccinated animals survived, while every unvaccinated mouse died.
The idea behind this innovative approach started with the gums. Viruses typically enter the body through the mucosal surfaces in the nose and mouth, but the gingival sulcus, the tiny crevice where a tooth meets the gum, is unusually leaky and has a high density of immune cells just beneath the surface.
When the team coated the floss with a fluorescently tagged protein, they found that the gum tissue absorbed roughly 75% of the dose. Even 72 hours later, the proteins were still visible in the mice's gums, proving that the floss delivered its payload deep into immune-rich tissue.
Robust immunity was observed in flossed mice, as shown by the presence of antibodies in their saliva, feces, and bone marrow, elevated numbers of T cells in their lungs and spleen, and swollen lymph nodes. Floss-based vaccination did not require dietary restrictions for effectiveness, unlike oral vaccines.
Floss outperformed direct gum drops and was roughly as effective as intranasal vaccination. Sublingual vaccines fared worse. Early human feasibility tests used floss coated with dye instead of vaccine and showed reasonable delivery to gums (~60% effectiveness), supporting the potential for human application.
However, it's important to note that this approach is still experimental and was so far tested mostly in mice. More research, including clinical trials in humans, is needed to establish safety, efficacy across diseases, dosing regimens, and practical delivery methods before vaccine-coated floss can become a widely used needle-free vaccination strategy for humans.
Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University who was not involved in the study, said the results are quite impressive. William Giannobile, dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, highlighted the need for testing in individuals with gum disease, as inflamed or damaged gums could affect vaccine absorption.
In summary, while not yet approved for human use, vaccine-coated dental floss represents a promising, novel needle-free vaccination method that leverages the permeability and immune properties of gum tissue to induce protective immunity. This development could revolutionise disease prevention, making it easier, cheaper, and more accessible in future pandemics.
[1] Nature Biomedical Engineering (2022). Vaccination by flossing triggers potent immune responses in mice. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-022-00931-x [2] Science Daily (2022). Vaccine-coated dental floss protects mice against influenza. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220404114951.htm [3] Medical Xpress (2022). Flossing with vaccine-coated dental floss protects mice against influenza. [online] Available at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-flossing-vaccine-coated-dental-floss-mice.html [4] Healio (2022). Dental floss vaccines protect mice against influenza. [online] Available at: https://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/influenza/news/online/%7B46767a08-9e13-4208-97e8-43e8080548d3%7D/dental-floss-vaccines-protect-mice-against-influenza
- This groundbreaking development in the field of medicine and health could potentially transform disease prevention, particularly against viruses like influenza, by utilizing flossing as a needle-free method, thanks to research involving vaccine-coated dental floss.
- The study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering introduces a "universal" flu vaccine using gold nanoparticles tagged with a conserved flu peptide (M2e), which was found to be effective in mice.
- The innovative approach starts with the gums, where viruses typically enter the body, and the gingival sulcus, after testing on mice, showed a high absorption of the vaccine when floss is used.
- Robust immunity was observed in flossed mice, as shown by the presence of antibodies, elevated numbers of T cells, swollen lymph nodes, and other indicators of a strong immune response.
- Floss-based vaccination did not require dietary restrictions for effectiveness, unlike oral vaccines, and outperformed direct gum drops and was roughly as effective as intranasal vaccination.
- More research, including clinical trials in humans, is necessary to establish the safety, efficacy across diseases, dosing regimens, and practical delivery methods before vaccine-coated floss can become a widely used needle-free vaccination strategy for humans.
- This new advancement in health-and-wellness could revolutionize future disease prevention, making it easier, cheaper, and more accessible in pandemics, by leveraging tech, science, ecology, conservation, fitness-and-exercise, therapies-and-treatments, and the unique properties of gum tissue for immunization purposes.
