New Rochelle, NY, October 15, 2012—In addition to the obvious benefit of eliminating the need for an injection, new vaccine delivery methods via the lungs offer particular advantages for protecting against infectious agents that enter the body through the respiratory track. A comprehensive review article that presents the current status, challenges, and opportunities of pulmonary vaccine delivery is published in Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free online on the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery website.
In "Pulmonary Vaccine Delivery: A Realistic Approach?" Wouter Tonnis and coauthors from University of Groningen and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Bilthoven), The Netherlands, describe the unique physiology and immune responsiveness of the respiratory track that make pulmonary vaccine delivery such an attractive alternative to traditional injections. Although pulmonary vaccination is still a young field, with much more research needed, evidence suggests administration of a vaccine to the lungs can induce a local immune response more effectively than conventional types of vaccine delivery, in addition to stimulating antibody production throughout the body. This could be especially important for combating pathogens that cause pulmonary diseases.
Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online. It is the Official Journal of the International Society for Aerosols in Medicine. The Journal is the only authoritative publication delivering innovative articles on the health effects of inhaled aerosols and delivery of drugs through the pulmonary system. Topics covered include airway reactivity and asthma treatment, inhalation of particles and gases in the respiratory tract, toxic effects of inhaled agents, and aerosols as tools for studying basic physiologic phenomena. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery website.
(Photo Credit: © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers)
"The lung is an immunologic powerhouse that remains largely unexplored. Theoretically we should be able to avoid needles and simply inhale our vaccines," says Editor-in-Chief Gerald C. Smaldone, MD, PhD, Professor and Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at SUNY-Stony Brook.