| abstract |
Mucosal, particularly oral, microparticle conjugate vaccines against certain pathogenic microorganisms, especially intracellular pathogenic microorganisms, are disclosed. An immunizing component of such a vaccine comprises protection-generating antigens derived from a certain pathogenic microorganism, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Salmonella enteritidis, conjugated, possibly via a linker, to biodegradable microparticles, particularly starch microparticles, such as cross-linked starch microparticles, e.g. polyacryl starch microparticles. Further, a method of inducing protective immunity against a certain pathogenic microorganism in a mammal, and the use of protection-generating antigens derived from a certain pathogenic microorganism conjugated, possibly via a linker, to biodegradable microparticles for the production of a mucosal microparticle conjugate vaccine, are described. |