Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

This vaccine uses dental floss instead of needles


Scientists have discovered that flossing between your teeth could one day help vaccinate you. By targeting a uniquely permeable gum tissue called the junctional epithelium, this new method stimulates immunity right where many infections enter: the mouth, nose, and lungs. Using dental floss on mice to apply a flu vaccine triggered a robust immune response—better than existing oral approaches and comparable to nasal vaccines, but without the risks. It even worked with mRNA and protein-based vaccines.

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on ScienceDaily

Read more on:

Photo of needles

needles

Photo of dental floss

dental floss

Photo of Vaccine

Vaccine

Related news:

News photo

Why you may get future vaccines via dental floss - EurekAlert!

News photo

New Kind of Dental Floss Could Replace Vaccine Needles, Study Finds

News photo

Engineers transform dental floss into needle-free vaccine