Microneedle Vaccination Patches Outshine the COVID Jabs

In terms of antibody responses, the temperature stable, three-dimensional vaccine patches with microneedles, overshadow the effect of the jabs and vaccination shots against COVID-19.

The experts' panel of Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have come up with rapid-response vaccine patches, that are 3D printed with microneedles, providing better protection compared to conventional vaccine injections.

‘Printed patches could be self-administered in the future rather than waiting for your COVID-jabs in queues.’

As the patch is applied to the skin, the vaccines target a whole set of immune cells. The vaccine dose was found to be stable for at least a month at 25 degrees Celsius after being administered as a microneedle 3-D printed patch. This is a clear-cut indicator that the patch shall also be distributed without refrigerating in the future and in which case, there is a possibility for self-administration of these patches too.

"In developing this technology, we hope to set the foundation for even more rapid global development of vaccines, at lower doses, is a pain- and anxiety-free manner," said the lead study author and entrepreneur in 3D print technology Joseph M. DeSimone, professor of translational medicine and chemical engineering at Stanford University and professor emeritus at UNC-Chapel Hill.

According to the findings, the vaccine patch elicited a 50-fold higher T-cell and antigen-specific antibody response than a subcutaneous injection given under the skin. "It's generally a challenge to adapt microneedles to different vaccine types, said lead study author Shaomin Tian, a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine." "These issues, coupled with manufacturing challenges, have arguably held back the field of microneedles for vaccine delivery," she said.

Most microneedle vaccines are fabricated with master templates to make molds. However, the molding of microneedles is not very versatile, and drawbacks include reduced needle sharpness during replication.

Master templates are used to create molds for most microneedle vaccinations. Microneedle molding, on the other hand, is not very adaptable, and it has limitations such as decreased needle sharpness during replication.

This method allows us to print these microneedles directly using the three-dimensional printing technology, giving us a lot of design liberty, in creating the high-quality microneedles possible in terms of functionality and cost. Microbiologists and chemical engineers are continuing to raise the bar further by converting RNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, into microneedle patches for future testing.

Source: Medindia