New 3D-printed vaccine patch more effective than traditional jabs: US study

Boston:

Scientists have developed a three-dimensional (3D) printed vaccine patch that is not only less painful and less invasive than a traditional vaccine, but also offers better protection than a conventional vaccine.

A team from Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in the United States applied the vaccine patch directly to the skin of the animals during their tests. The resulting immune response from the patch was 10 times that of a vaccine injected into the muscle of the arm with a needle, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The technique uses 3D printed microneedles lined up on a polymer patch that are barely long enough to reach the skin to deliver the vaccine.

“By developing this technology, we hope to lay the groundwork for even faster global vaccine development, at lower doses, without pain or anxiety,” said study lead author Joseph M DeSimone, professor. at Stanford University.

The ease and effectiveness of the new vaccine could lead to a new way of delivering painless, less invasive, and self-administered vaccines.

The results of the study show that the vaccine patch generated a significant antibody response specific to T lymphocytes and to the antigen which was far superior to an injection administered under the skin.

This increased immune response could save vaccine doses because a micro-needle vaccine patch uses a smaller dose to generate an immune response similar to a vaccine given with a needle, the researchers said.

“Our approach allows us to 3D print microneedles directly, giving us a lot of design latitude to make the best microneedles from a performance and cost perspective,” said lead author of the study Shaomin Tian, ​​researcher at the UNC School of Medicine. .

The study overcomes some past challenges – thanks to 3D printing, microneedles can be easily customized to develop various vaccine patches for influenza, measles, hepatitis or COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stark reminder of the difference made with a timely vaccination. However, getting the vaccine usually requires a visit to a clinic or hospital.

The researchers reiterated that there are currently issues that can hamper mass vaccination – from cold storage of vaccines to the need for trained professionals who can administer the vaccines.

However, the vaccine patches, capable of incorporating vaccine-coated microneedles that dissolve in the skin, could be shipped anywhere in the world without special handling, and people can apply the patch themselves, they said. declared.

The ease of use of a vaccine patch can also lead to higher vaccination rates, according to the researchers.

The team is currently formulating RNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, in microneedle patches for future testing.