Progress on M cells-targeted oral vaccine delivery systems

VernacularTitle:靶向M细胞的口服疫苗递送系统的研究进展
Author: Anze LIU ¹ ; Yingxin DONG ¹ ; Huan WANG ¹ ; Ying LU ¹
Author Information

1. School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Publication Type:Reviews
Keywords: oral vaccine; microfold cell; targeted delivery; mucosal immunity
From: Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(8):389-394
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Oral vaccines, owing to their non-invasive nature, ease of administration, and ability to elicit both mucosal and systemic immune responses, represent a pivotal direction in vaccine development. Microfold cells （M cells）, a specialized subset of immune-surveillance epithelial cells, though sparsely distributed, possess exceptional capacity for antigen uptake and transcytosis, rendering them a critical target for overcoming the bottlenecks of oral vaccine delivery. The morphological structure, antigen uptake mechanisms, and surface receptor characteristics of intestinal M cells were summarized in this paper. The multifaceted challenges currently impeding M cell-targeted oral delivery and recent advances in targeting strategies based on receptor–ligand specific recognition were analyzed. The design and application of delivery carriers tailored for M cell targeting were reviewed, which aimed to provide insights and guidance for future research and development of M cell-targeted mucosal delivery systems in the intestine.