Influenza is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although vaccination is the most effective strategy to prevent infection, influenza vaccination coverage is insufficient and improved vaccine immunogenicity is needed. We are developing a microneedle (MN) patch that is simple enough to increase vaccination coverage by enabling self-administration and specifically designed to improve immunogenicity by targeting dendritic cells in skin. This study shows that metal MN coated with influenza vaccine and dissolving polymer MN encapsulating the vaccine both generated robust primary humoral immune responses similar to conventional intramuscular (IM) vaccination, but MN elicited superior recall immune responses, which provides better protection against infection. Optimized formulations showed good vaccine stability during storage without refrigeration.
Year
2010
Institutions
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 prausnitz@gatech.edu
Summary
