Needle-Free Vaccine? Scientists Use Dental Floss to Activate Immunity and Results Impress

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 25/07/2025 at 11:47

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Dental Floss With Vaccine Shows Efficacy in Mouse Tests and Can Activate the Immune System Without the Need for Injections or Needles

Researchers from Texas Tech University and the University of North Carolina developed an unusual method of vaccination: dental floss capable of providing immunization without the use of needles. The study was published in the journal Nature Bioengineering and showed good results in tests with mice.

The idea arose when engineer Harvinder Gill, a nanomedicine specialist at North Carolina State University, was reading about gum diseases.

He noticed that the gingival sulcus — the spaces between the teeth and gums — has a high absorption of molecules. This sparked the possibility of using that area for vaccines.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

How the Experiment Was Conducted

During the tests, Gill used a metal ring to keep the animal’s jaw open while his partner passed the dental floss.

The floss was coated with a modified protein that glowed in the dark. The goal was to observe the absorption of the substance by the gums.

The results showed that 75% of the protein was absorbed. After two months of continuous use, the animals showed an increase in antibodies in their lungs, nose, spleen, and even in their feces.

This indicated that the immune system had been activated.

Dental Floss as a Vaccine: Testing With The Flu Virus

In the next phase, scientists used the dental floss with an inactivated flu virus. The aim was to verify whether the mice’s bodies could generate immunity against the disease.

About 50 animals were treated with the dental floss for two weeks, within a 28-day period.

Then, all were exposed to the active flu virus. The mice that had been immunized with the dental floss survived. Those that did not receive the treatment died.

Antibodies were detected in the feces, saliva, lungs, spleen, T cells, and even in the bone marrow of the vaccinated animals. The immune response was comparable to vaccines administered nasally.

Next Steps

Researchers are now planning to test the technology in humans. A preliminary test involved 27 healthy individuals.

They used dental floss coated with food dye. The protein adhered to the gums of about 60% of the volunteers.

Some scientists also suggested using the method to treat gum diseases but acknowledged that more studies are needed.

Gill commented that it would be possible to receive this type of vaccine during a routine visit to the dentist.

With information from Revista Galileu.

Needle-Free Vaccine? Scientists Use Dental Floss to Activate Immunity and Results Impress

Dental Floss With Vaccine Shows Efficacy in Mouse Tests and Can Activate the Immune System Without the Need for Injections or Needles

How the Experiment Was Conducted

Dental Floss as a Vaccine: Testing With The Flu Virus

Next Steps

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Needle-Free Vaccine? Scientists Use Dental Floss to Activate Immunity and Results Impress

Dental Floss With Vaccine Shows Efficacy in Mouse Tests and Can Activate the Immune System Without the Need for Injections or Needles

How the Experiment Was Conducted

Dental Floss as a Vaccine: Testing With The Flu Virus

Next Steps

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