Polymeric Microspheres As Antigen Delivery Systems

Vaccination has been considered to be the most effective way to control infectious diseases. Currently, many vaccines used in humans are live-attenuated or killed microorganisms. Polio, mumps, and measles vaccines are live-attenuated. Killed vaccines include cholera and pertussis vaccines, These conventional vaccines, however, suffer from some problems. In the case of live-attenuated vaccines, reversion to virulence is observed in a small but significant number of clinical cases each year. In killed vaccines, due to the possible hazard to employees working with live pathogens, the cost of preparation is high. Killed vaccines also need to be given in multiple doses, Furthermore, both live-attenuated and killed vaccines have possible presence of cellular materials leading to side effects. Moreover, there are diseases such as malaria and hepatitis for which conventional attenuated and killed vaccines are not available because the pathogens cannot be grown in sufficient amounts to allow the classical methods to be used.