Vaccine patches containing hundreds of micron-sized needles could become a painless alternative to conventional hypodermic needles, and could allow patients to self-administer vaccinations during pandemics. The microneedles dissolve in bodily fluids when applied to the skin, carrying vaccine with them. Only the water-soluble backing remains, and it can be easily discarded--unlike conventional hypodermic needles.
The dissolving microneedle vaccination patch is not quite as far along as another hypodermic alternative we recently reported on; unlike Bioject’s intradermal needle-free injection system, which performed well delivering polio vaccine to human infants, the microneedle patch is only at the point of being tested on mice. However, results looked promising; researchers from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology (News - Alert) tested found that the dissolving microneedles appeared to provide improved immunity to influenza compared to vaccinations administered with hypodermic needles.
According to Richard Compans, a microbiology and immunology professor at Emory, "the skin is a particularly attractive site for immunization because it contains an abundance of the types of cells that are important in generating immune responses to vaccines."
The microneedle study was reported in the online version of Nature Medicine. Via Georgia Tech.
Ms. Graham is a writer and editor with a current focus on health and wellness. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Erin Monda