Use of Fusobacterium nucleatum as a Vaccine Vector

Youngnim Choi of Seoul National University in the Republic of Korea will test whether Fusobacterium nucleatum, a common bacteria often found in human mouths, can be used to deliver antigens to the oral mucosa. This bacteria has the ability to invade epithelial tissues, and Choi hopes to engineer a strain to express a vaccine antigen when given under the tongue to induce both antibody production and a strong cell-mediated immune response.