Microbial-Based and Material-Based Vaccine Delivery Systems

Innovative approaches are required for the delivery of vaccine antigen to specific anatomical locations or to specific cell types. Toward this end, vaccinologists have made use of recent advances in molecular genetics to modify bacteria and viruses for the safe delivery of specific vaccine genes of interest. A wide variety of vectors derived from many different families of viruses and bacteria is currently in various stages of development. This variety is reflected in vastly different vector characteristics and physical properties that may be exploited for vaccine delivery of single or multiple genes, specialized immunization requirements, or attenuating safety features. In the past few years, engineered biomaterials with unique physicochemical properties have also shown considerable promise as a new generation of vaccine delivery systems for eliciting protective immunity against a variety of infectious and noninfectious diseases. This chapter focuses on the development of engineered biomaterials and novel bacterial and virus vector systems for modulating the immune system and for the safe delivery of vaccine antigens.