Researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs.

“Mucosal surfaces are important, because they are a source of entry for pathogens, such as influenza and Covid”, says Harvinder Singh Gill, corresponding author of a paper on the work. “However, if a vaccine is given by injection, antibodies are primarily produced in the bloodstream throughout the body, and relatively few antibodies are produced on mucosal surfaces. But we know that when a vaccine is given via the mucosal surface, antibodies are stimulated not only in the bloodstream, but also on mucosal surfaces”, says Gill, the Ronald B. and Cynthia J. McNeill Term Prof. in Nanomedicine at North Carolina State University. “This improves the body’s ability to prevent infection, because there is an additional line of antibody defense before a pathogen enters the body”.

The junctional epithelium is a thin layer of tissue located in the deepest part of the pocket between the tooth and the gum. The researchers applied vaccine to unwaxed dental floss and then flossed the teeth of lab mice. “We found that applying vaccine via the junctional epithelium produces far superior antibody response on mucosal surfaces than the current gold standard for vaccinating via the oral cavity, which involves placing vaccine under the tongue”, says Rohan Ingrole, first author of the paper.

The paper is published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

From: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250803011820.htm