Keynote review: intestinal Peyer's patch M cells and oral vaccine targeting.

Specialized M cells in the follicle-associated epithelium of intestinal Peyer's patches serve as portals for diverse particulates. Following antigen handover to dome lymphocytes, a protective mucosal antibody secretion ensues. One approach to oral vaccine delivery is to mimic the entry pathways of pathogens via M cells. The paucity of human tissue for in vitro investigation has hampered the discovery of M-cell pathogen receptors; however an in vitro human M like-cell culture model displays many expected phenotypic features. Comparative studies using microarrays reveal several novel M-cell surface receptors that could be used to potentially target orally delivered antigens.