Oral medicine is more comfortable than injections. The advantage of oral vaccines is that they can provide an initial defense in the mucosa, which is a common infection site. However, they have reduced immune efficiency because, unlike injected vaccines, they are broken down by enzymes in the body as they pass through the digestive system. Moreover, immune efficiency is further impaired because the vaccines are poorly absorbed by ileal epithelial cells.

Previous studies have shown that RANKL acts on enterocytes in the ileal epithelium to induce differentiation to M cells. Based on these results, a research team led by Professors Choi, Yun-Jaie and Cho, Chong-Su manufactured recombined transmembrane RANKL and injected it intraperitoneally, simulating ileal M cell differentiation. This was studied as an approach to preparing the ileum for efficient absorption of antigens when vaccines were administered orally.

Using intraperitoneal RANKL administration to increase the number of M cells, this study became the first in the world to induce efficient mucosal immunity via oral vaccination. It was published in the international journal Biomaterials (Study Title: Attuning hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate to oral delivery vehicle for effective and selective delivery of protein vaccine in illeum).

By overcoming the low antigen absorption efficiency of oral vaccines, this study represents a game-changing technological advance in the field of oral vaccine development for cattle.

Student Reporter Lee, Sang-Wook, Shin, Ye-Hyeon