Publication of the Month March (2013)
Laser microporation of the skin: prospects for painless application of protective and therapeutic vaccines
Sandra Scheiblhofer, Josef Thalhamer & Richard Weiss
Abstract:
Needle-free, painless vaccination techniques have the potential to replace standard subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. Fractional laser devices for stepwise ablation of skin layers might become a preferred method not only for vaccination against pathogens, but also for immunotherapy of cancer and allergy. However, little is known about the immunological mechanisms following cutaneous immunization. We provide an overview of skin-resident cell types, present data on their roles in cutaneous immune responses, and discuss advantages and potential pitfalls of skin immunization.
The article can be found here.
Reviewed by Johann Brandstetter