Dissolvable Microneedle Patch Makes Vaccine Delivery Easier
OSAKA, Japan, July 15 (UPI) — Researchers have developed a dissolvable microneedle patch that delivers vaccinations when applied to the skin, which they said would make it easier and less painful to vaccinate people in any locale.
The patches were tested using vaccines for three types of flu, which showed the patch may be able to deliver a higher level of immunity than traditional needle shots into skin or muscle.
“Our novel transcutaneous vaccination using a dissolving microneedle patch is the only application vaccination system that is readily adaptable for widespread practical use,” said Shinsaku Nakagawa, a professor at Osaka University, in a press release. “Because the new patch is so easy to use, we believe it will be particularly effective in supporting vaccination in developing countries.”
The microneedle patch is made of dissolvable material, including tiny needles made of hyaluronic acid, which is naturally occurring in the skin. When the patch is applied, the microneedles pierce the top layer of skin and dissolve into the body, taking the vaccine with them.
The researchers then split a group of 40 men into 2 groups, giving one group the vaccine using a patch and the other got it using a needle. Researchers then checked for adverse reactions and vaccine level, finding that the patch had properly dissolved and the immunity from the vaccine was at least as strong, if not stronger, in participants who’d received the patch.
Previous research on patch application of vaccines was not effective at distributing vaccines, among other reasons because tiny needles made of silicon or metal can break off and leave fragments in the skin.
The study is published in Biomaterials.
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