Now, biomedical engineers are exploring a new approach that could ditch shots entirely for a far more mundane delivery system: dental floss. Unlike in other parts of the body, however, this junctional epithelium doesn’t feature that same protective barrier. Without that protective barrier seen elsewhere in the body, the junctional epithelium is more permeable than similar tissues. While the junctional epithelium lacks the protective lining, Gill and colleagues believe this could work in a patient’s favor. “We wanted to see how junctional epithelium delivery compared to the best-case scenario for nasal delivery,” he explained.