Infectious diseases are severe public health events that threaten global health. Prophylactic vaccines have been considered as the most effective strategy to train the immune system to recognize and clear pathogenic infections. However, the existing vaccines against infectious diseases have several limitations, such as difficulties in mass manufacturing and storage, weak immunogenicity, and low efficiencies of available adjuvants.
Biomaterials, especially functional polymers, are expected to break through these bottlenecks based on the advantages of biocompatibility, degradability, controlled synthesis, easy modification, precise targeting, and immune modulation, which are excellent carriers and adjuvants of vaccines.
This review article summarizes the application of polymer-enhanced vaccines against viruses- and bacteria-related infectious diseases and predicted their potential improvements.
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Journal reference:
Wei, Q., et al. (2023) Immunologically effective biomaterials-enhanced vaccines against infection of pathogenic microorganisms. Biosafety and Health. doi.org/10.1016/j.bsheal.2022.11.002.
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