# Cinnamon and Spice as Adjuvants are Nice? Evaluation of Transient Receptor Potential Channels as Targets to Improve Bioavailabilty of and the Immune Response to Film-Based Oral Vaccines

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 2020 · $228,125

## Abstract

According to the Codex Alimentarius, spices have been utilized since pre-historic times to enhance the
flavor and taste of food. While this practice was most likely also applied to medicinal agents during these
times, use of flavoring agents came to the forefront of medicine in the 19th century as pharmaceutical
manufacturers added distinct flavors to patented products. Their use was to improve patient compliance by
masking the unpleasant taste of drugs, a practice that continues today. It is also important to realize that
flavor refers to more than simply what something tastes like. Flavor encompasses a substance’s taste,
smell, and any physical traits we perceive in our mouth, such as "heat" (for example, cinnamon) or "cold"
(for example, spearmint). During the recent push to identify the scientific mechanisms by which various
spices and flavoring agents exert therapeutic effects that have been recorded for centuries, it has been
found that stimulation of transient receptor potential channels (TRPs) contribute to the pharmacological
profile of a variety of flavoring agents. Recent findings of expression patterns of TRP channels on antigen
presenting cells, B and T cells and epithelial and sensory cells in the oral mucosa suggest that they may be
logical targets for strengthening the immune response of vaccines given by the sublingual (SL) and buccal
(BU) route through physical and biochemical means. The proposed studies intend to investigate the utility
of flavoring agents, known to stimulate TRP channels, to strengthen the immune response to vaccine in a
novel, dissolvable film when given by the SL and BU route. We will test the hypothesis that stepwise
stimulation of TRPs located on epithelial cells in the oral mucosa, immune cells and distinct subsets
of primary sensory neurons located in the oronasal cavity will significantly enhance the long-term
immune response to a co-administered vaccine. This approach to adjuvant development is largely
unexplored in the context of oral and other mucosal vaccines. We will first characterize the ability of each
flavoring agent to stimulate pro-inflammatory responses necessary for recruitment of immune cells to the
site of administration and enhance permeability across ex vivo and in vitro models of human oral mucosa.
We will identify antigen presenting cells (APCs) recruited to the site of administration and in surrounding
lymph nodes in response to each flavoring agent in several animal models. We will then assess systemic
and localized T and B cell-mediated immune responses elicited after administration of flavored vaccines.
Results from these studies will be extremely valuable, as they will identify novel targets for development of
additional vaccine adjuvants. They will shed light on the type of immune response elicited by SL and BU
immunization that will be valuable for the development of vaccination strategies against other pathogens
and could resolve significant barriers to effective immunization ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9872126
- **Project number:** 5R21AI138017-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Maria A Croyle
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $228,125
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-14 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9872126

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9872126, Cinnamon and Spice as Adjuvants are Nice? Evaluation of Transient Receptor Potential Channels as Targets to Improve Bioavailabilty of and the Immune Response to Film-Based Oral Vaccines (5R21AI138017-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9872126. Licensed CC0.

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