Approaches to development of microencapsulated form of the live measles vaccine

Development of delivery of antigens and antigenic complexes using microcapsules or microgranules made of pH-dependent polymers is one of several high priority directions of modern vaccinology. These polymers should protect the virus from acid gastric medium, dissolve or swell readily in weakly alkaline intestinal medium, in no way decrease the specific activities of viral antigens, promote their penetration into intestinal mucosa, and possess adjuvant properties. The State Research Center Vector and "DELSI" are developing the technology for production of microencapsulated form of the live measles vaccine L-16 viruses for oral administration. The authors have so far succeeded in selecting and characterizing a number of polymers that are promising for microencapsulated vaccine and for testing of virus titers and immune response of experimental samples of a new vaccine in animals. Control of samples in guinea pigs demonstrated that the encapsulated measles virus retained its specific activity and capability for inducing immune response in experimental animals.