Transcutaneous immunization: An emerging route of immunization and potent immunostimulation strategy

Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) has emerged recently as a new method of v accination that uses the skin. The simplicity of a patch-based immunization may obscure the potency of this strategy for immuno stimulation because TC I allows the safe use of a wide variety of potent adjuvants. It is thought that these adjuvants activate Langerhans cells in the skin, which migrate t o the draining lymph to orchestrate robust systemic immune responses. TCI r epresents a novel combination using established knowledge relating to skin penetration, the potency of adjuvant-based immunostimulation, and data show ing that Langerhans cells are highly desirable targets because of their ant igen-presenting cell function. The near-term challenge will be to take this promising insight into successful product development.