Transcutaneous immunization: A human vaccine delivery strategy using a patch

Transcutaneous immunization, a topical Vaccine application, combines the ad vantages of needle-free delivery while targeting the immunologically rich m ilieu of the skin. In animal studies, this simple technique induces robust systemic and mucosal antibodies against vaccine antigens. Here, we demonstr ate safe application of a patch containing heat-labile enterotoxin (LT, der ived from Escherichia coli) to humans, resulting in robust LT-antibody resp onses. These findings indicate that TCL is feasible for human immunization, and suggest that TCL may enhance efficacy as well as improve vaccine deliv ery.