Scientists have been experimenting with microneedle patches to painlessly deliver a vaccine into the outermost layer of the skin with dozens of extremely tiny needles coated in the vaccine solution.
Previous research has shown delivering vaccines into the skin can cause a stronger immune response because the skin has a high concentration of immune cells. But shots can be painful and require skilled medical providers.
Microneedles painlessly deliver the vaccine into the skin without the need for a trained clinician. In fact, a person can even give the vaccine to themselves. The needles -- made of metal, silicon, or plastic -- are so tiny that they puncture only the tough outermost layer of skin. The prospect of a painless vaccination without a hypodermic needle may easeScientists also can store dried patches after coating them with the vaccine solution, so there's no preparation needed before giving the vaccine and the patches may not even require cold storage.
For the 3D-printed patches, Cassie Caudill at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her colleagues used a printing technique that allows. The investigators printed two shapes: a slender pyramid microneedle that is similar to previous versions, and one with serrated grooves that resembles a pine tree.
The increased surface area from the grooves let researchers add 36% more of the ingredient that causes an immune response, compared to using only the pyramid shape, yet still less than a conventional shot. At only 1 centimeter by 1 centimeter, each patch contains 100 microneedles that are just over 1 millimeter long. The researchers found that in mice, the patch drew a stronger immune response than a conventional shot, despite carrying a much smaller dose of vaccine ingredient.
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