Recent progress in application of nanovaccines for enhancing mucosal immune responses

Mucosal vaccines that stimulate both mucosal and systemic immune responses are desirable, as they could prevent the invading pathogens at their initial infection sites in a convenient and user-friendly way. Nanovaccines are receiving increasing attention for mucosal vaccination due to their merits in overcoming mucosal immune barriers and in enhancing immunogenicity of the encapsulated antigens. Herein, we summarized several nanovaccine strategies that have been reported for enhancing mucosal immune responses, including designing nanovaccines that have superior mucoadhesion and mucus penetration capacity, designing nanovaccines with better targeting efficiency to M cells or antigen-presenting cells, and co-delivering adjuvants by using nanovaccines. The reported applications of mucosal nanovaccines were also briefly discussed, including prevention of infectious diseases, and treatment of tumors and autoimmune diseases. Future research progresses in mucosal nanovaccines may promote the clinical translation and application of mucosal vaccines.

The susceptibility of allergic disorders on respiratory system based mucosal immune abnormality in the early life / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

The common mucosal immunological system is an important anatomical basis of the allergic disorders.Its function is not only regulated by the susceptibility gene,but also affected the development because of the early life exposure to antibiotics.It is the tangible that early life antibiotic-driven changes in mucosal immune enhance susceptibility to allergic disorders of respiratory system.A holistic approach to study the mucosal immune system as an integrated global organ is imperative for future advances in understanding mucosal immunology and for future treatment of the allergic disorders.This review will be focus on the latest evidence and the mechanisms in driving the lung-gutcross-talk.

Study progresses in respiratory mucosal immunity and related diseases / 中国免疫学杂志

As the passage of environmental atmosphere entering the body,the respiratory tract suffers persistent challenge from foreign substances.The mucosal immune system of the respiratory tract is the main defense line against the invasion of pathogens,which needs to distinguish not only beneficial and detrimental materials but also resident and pathogenic bacteria.Because the knowledge about respiratory mucosal immunity is limited,the immunopathologic mechanisms of related diseases such as asthma,acute lung injury, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and respiratory infection need investigation.The study about the immune features of the respiratory tract not only contributes to the prevention and treatment of respiratory disease but also provides ideas for the development and design of new vaccines and medicines.

Mucosal Immune System and M Cell-targeting Strategies for Oral Mucosal Vaccination

Vaccination is one of the most effective methods available to prevent infectious diseases. Mucosa, which are exposed to heavy loads of commensal and pathogenic microorganisms, are one of the first areas where infections are established, and therefore have frontline status in immunity, making mucosa ideal sites for vaccine application. Moreover, vaccination through the mucosal immune system could induce effective systemic immune responses together with mucosal immunity in contrast to parenteral vaccination, which is a poor inducer of effective immunity at mucosal surfaces. Among mucosal vaccines, oral mucosal vaccines have the advantages of ease and low cost of vaccine administration. The oral mucosal immune system, however, is generally recognized as poorly immunogenic due to the frequent induction of tolerance against orally-introduced antigens. Consequently, a prerequisite for successful mucosal vaccination is that the orally introduced antigen should be transported across the mucosal surface into the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). In particular, M cells are responsible for antigen uptake into MALT, and the rapid and effective transcytotic activity of M cells makes them an attractive target for mucosal vaccine delivery, although simple transport of the antigen into M cells does not guarantee the induction of specific immune responses. Consequently, development of mucosal vaccine adjuvants based on an understanding of the biology of M cells has attracted much research interest. Here, we review the characteristics of the oral mucosal immune system and delineate strategies to design effective oral mucosal vaccines with an emphasis on mucosal vaccine adjuvants.

Breast Milk Immunoprotection and the Common Mucosal Immune System: a Review

It is universally known that breastfeeding provides a broad spectrum of nutritional and non-nutritional advantages to the developing infant. Nonnutritive protecting potentials of breast milk towards different infections and non-infectious diseases are still attracting the attention of researchers in different specialties. The neonate, who is suddenly exposed to a wide variety of organisms, is in dire need of protection, enhancement and education of his immature immune system to encounter these organisms. The lactating mammary gland is an integral part of the common mucosal immune system which stands as a sentinel in combating pathogens that enter the body via the mucosal route. The common mucosal immune system also competently controls tolerance mechanisms to innocent proteins and is involved in surveillance of carcinogensis. The diverse roles of general mucosal immunity are nearly well established but the specialised functions of breast tissue and breast milk in boosting the immune responses need more emphasis and highlighting. The detailed understanding and evaluation of breast milk as an immunological tool is reviewed within the domain of the diverse activities of the common mucosal immune system.