Dental Floss Delivers Peptide Vaccines Through Gum Tissue — Outperforms Sublingual Vaccination | Research

The takeaway

Floss-based vaccination delivered peptide-functionalized nanoparticles through the gingival sulcus, inducing strong systemic and mucosal immunity and durable influenza protection superior to sublingual vaccination.

Floss = vaccine
Dental floss coated with peptide nanoparticles delivered through gum tissue produced stronger immunity than sublingual vaccination

What the researchers found

Floss-based vaccination: delivered peptide nanoparticles through gingival sulcus → stimulated local LN, increased CD4+ T cells, boosted antibody-secreting cells in bone marrow → durable protection against lethal influenza. Superior to sublingual, comparable to intranasal. Human feasibility confirmed.

Why it matters

A painless, needle-free, self-administered vaccination route using dental floss could transform vaccine delivery, especially for people with needle phobia.

How the study worked

Gold NPs functionalized with M2e influenza peptide applied to murine gingival sulcus via floss, with immune profiling (lymph nodes, lungs, spleen, bone marrow), influenza challenge, and human fluorescent dye feasibility study.

What this study cannot tell us

Mouse model. Only one antigen (influenza M2e) tested. Floss coating stability uncertain. Dose consistency with consumer floss products unclear.

How to read the evidence

Preclinical with human feasibility confirmation. Novel delivery concept with strong immune response data.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

The mouth is an underutilized vaccination site. The gingival sulcus — which naturally allows molecule passage — provides a uniquely accessible mucosal gateway for peptide vaccines.

Questions still open

Could this approach deliver COVID-19 or other vaccines?
Would commercial dental floss products be suitable for vaccine coating?
How does dose control work with a floss-based delivery system?

Common questions

Can dental floss deliver vaccines?

Remarkably, yes. The gum crevice naturally allows molecules to pass through. When floss coated with vaccine peptide nanoparticles was used, it produced strong, lasting immunity — even better than under-the-tongue vaccination.

Could I vaccinate myself while brushing my teeth?

That is the vision. If perfected, daily flossing could simultaneously clean teeth and deliver vaccines — the ultimate in convenient, needle-free immunization. Human feasibility has been confirmed.

Read the original research

Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization.

Nature biomedical engineering, 10(2), 370-389

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Ingrole, Rohan S J; Shakya, Akhilesh Kumar; Joshi, Gaurav; Lee, Chang Hyun; Nesovic, Lazar D; Compans, Richard W; Gill, Harvinder Singh. (2026). Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization.. Nature biomedical engineering, 10(2), 370-389. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-025-01451-3