Boston, September 27
Scientists have developed a three-dimensional (3D) printed vaccine patch that provides greater protection than a typical immunisation shot.
The team at Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in the US applied the vaccine patch directly to the skin of animals, which is full of immune cells that vaccines target.
The resulting immune response from the patch was 10 times greater than vaccine delivered into an arm muscle with a needle jab, 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 and barely long enough to reach the skin to deliver vaccine.
“In developing this technology, we hope to set the foundation for even more rapid global development of vaccines, at lower doses, in a pain- and anxiety-free manner,” said lead study author Joseph M DeSimone, professor at Stanford University.
The ease and effectiveness of the new vaccine may lead to a new way to deliver vaccines that is painless, less invasive than a shot with a needle and can be self-administered.
Through 3D printing, the microneedles can be easily customised to develop various vaccine patches for flu, measles, hepatitis or Covid-19 vaccines. — PTI
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
