Abstract: An orally administrable therapeutic protein is provided by combining the therapeutic protein with a stabilizing agent in an aqueous solution. The solution is coated onto nonpareils and microencapsulated with a water emulsifiable enteric coating composition. The microcapsules are orally administered. The coating protects the protein as it passes through the stomach. Upon reaching the small intestines, the basic pH of the intestinal juices will dissolve the coating, allowing the protein to be released and induce antigen specific immune response which has the specificity of the native molecule. The stabilizing agent protects the therapeutic protein from denaturation during the encapsulation process.

Abstract: The invention discloses methods for inducing a desired T helper lymphocyte regulated immune response by delivering an immunogen to a preselected region of the gastrointestinal tract of a subject. The invention finds application in the immunological and biomedical fields.