# Floss: a novel method for oral mucosal vaccination

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH · 2024 · $601,354

## Abstract

Floss: a novel method for oral mucosal vaccination
The overall goal of this proposal is to develop a novel method of oral cavity mucosal vaccination. The mucosal
surfaces serve as portals of entry for a vast majority of pathogens such as influenza virus and HIV. It is
recognized that a strong immune response at both the mucosal and systemic compartments is more effective at
combating these infections than an immune response in just the systemic compartment. However, parenteral
injections do not stimulate strong mucosal immunity. To achieve this, vaccines must be delivered through the
mucosal surfaces. Furthermore, mucosal vaccinations can be painless and better accepted (of course depends
on the route) as compared to painful shots. The oral cavity is an extremely attractive route for delivering vaccines
due to it’s ease of accessibility and the relatively mild environment compared to the stomach. Within the oral
cavity, the buccal and sublingual mucosa have been extensively researched, however, poor permeability of
vaccines through these mucosal tissues has made it difficult to translate these routes to the clinic. Nonetheless,
research has shown that if vaccines are delivered through the oral cavity, immune responses can be stimulated
in the distant vaginal, respiratory, and intestinal mucosa, offering protection at all these other sites. In other
words, the oral cavity has potential to be used for vaccination against a broad range of pathogens such as
influenza and HIV. Therefore, a breakthrough in successful delivery of vaccines through the oral cavity could
have a paradigm-shifting impact on vaccinations. Here we propose that a floss can be used to target the
junctional epithelium for vaccination. The junctional epithelium is a unique epithelial tissue that has exceptionally
high permeability and provides a doorway into the mucosa. However, because it is located at the base of the
gum pocket it is harder to target. We postulate that the floss, a common dental device used by millions, could be
coated with a vaccine and used for vaccination. Our hypothesis is that floss-based vaccination through the
junctional epithelium can stimulate systemic and mucosal humoral and cellular immune responses against
different antigens. This hypothesis is backed by our strong preliminary data. The objective of this research
proposal is to build on this preliminary data and develop this novel method of vaccination into a reliable and
reproducible method of vaccination. The aims are: i) comprehensive characterization of immune response
generated through junctional epithelium immunization in mice, ii) characterization of the nature of immune
stimulation following junctional epithelium vaccination in mice, and iii) characterization of systemic and mucosal
immunity from floss-based vaccination in pigs. This new approach of vaccination will be assessed in mice and
pigs, which increases the translational potential of this work. Because the floss is needle free, it is ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10860565
- **Project number:** 1R01DE033759-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Harvinder Singh Gill
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $601,354
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-01 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10860565

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10860565, Floss: a novel method for oral mucosal vaccination (1R01DE033759-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10860565. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*