Communications of the ACM
3D-Printed Vaccine Patch Offers Vaccination Without a Shot
Study results showed the vaccine patch generated a significant T-cell and antigen-specific antibody response that was 50 times greater than a subcutaneous injection delivered under the skin.
Credit: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Scientists at Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) have engineered a three-dimensionally (3D)-printed vaccine patch that offers more protection than a typical shot in the arm.
The microneedle-studded polymer patch is applied directly to the skin, with a resulting 10-fold greater immune response and a 50-fold greater T-cell and antigen-specific antibody response compared to injection.
UNC's Shaomin Tian said the microneedles are 3D-printed, which makes it easy to design patches specifically for flu, measles, hepatitis, or COVID-19 vaccines.
Entrepreneur Joseph M. DeSimone said, "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."
From University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Abstracts Copyright © 2021 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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