Microneedle Arrays Keep Live Vaccines Effective At Room Temperature (+VIDEO)
Delivering vaccines into developing countries and keeping them there in proper conditions prove often rather problematic. Scientists from King’s College London have found a simple solution to this problem: to contain a dried live vaccine in a microneedle array that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Microneedle arrays consist of a small patch that has a grid of tiny sharp points on its underside, those points are made from a non-toxic dissolvable polymer that contains a medication. When the patch is placed against the skin, the points painlessly penetrate its top layer, then dissolve and release the medication into the body. Scientists have conducted an experiment with microneedle arrays kept at room temperature on the lab mice. The results showed that specialized cells in the animals’ skin triggered an immune response equivalent to one, which would be induced by a liquid vaccine that had been kept at a temperature of -80ºC (-112ºF). Dr. Linda Klavinskis reports, “It could potentially reduce the cost of manufacturing and transportation, improve safety (as there would be no loss in potency), and avoid the need of hypodermic needle injection, reducing the risk of transmitting blood-borne disease from contaminated needles and syringes.”
Via:gizmag.com
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