Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on whether dental floss could be used to deliver vaccines

We’ve all heard that flossing daily is key to keeping your gums healthy. But what if your dental floss could one day do more than prevent cavities? What if it could protect your whole body from serious diseases, like the flu?  Research published this week in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering shows that dental floss might be the future of vaccine delivery.  In this unusual experiment, scientists used floss coated with vaccine components, such as proteins or inactive viruses and gently ran it between the gums of mice.   It turns out that the soft tissue between your teeth is highly absorbent and rich in immune cells. This makes it a perfect spot for your body to detect and respond to threats like viruses.  Now, flossing mice is no easy task. To pull it off, one researcher had to use a keyring to gently open each mouse’s mouth, while another maneuvered the floss between its tiny teeth. They did this every two weeks over a month.  After the final flossing session, the mice were exposed to a deadly strain of flu. The results were astonishing - every single vaccinated mouse survived. The ones that didn’t get flossed? Sadly, they didn’t make it.  Even more impressive, the vaccinated mice had flu antibodies not just in their saliva, but in their faeces and bone marrow, a sign that their bodies had mounted a strong and lasting immune response. Scientists also found a boost in the number of infection-fighting T cells in the lungs and spleen.  To test the idea in people, researchers gave 27 healthy volunteers dental floss picks dipped in harmless food dye. On average, the dye reached the gum tissue about 60 percent of the time, suggesting the method could be viable with a little refinement.  This floss-based method could solve some real-world challenges:  Needle-free: Great news for people with needle phobia. No cold storage: Unlike many traditional vaccines, these could be stable at room temperature.  Easy distribution: Imagine getting your vaccine delivered in the mail and flossing your way to immunity.  Better for outbreaks: During pandemics, this kind of simple delivery could help reach more people, faster.  Of course, there’s still a long way to go before you’ll be replacing your flu jab with floss. But this research opens up exciting possibilities for painless, practical, and more accessible vaccines in the future.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.