Many people are bothered by needlesticks every time they get vaccinated. Now there is a new method: it is through the hair follicles, without damaging the skin. It is safer and more effective than traditional intramuscular injections. Thanks to that we have the vaccine that does not need to be injected.
Vaccination is the main strategy for preventing infectious diseases. Traditional vaccines are administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously with needles. This involves a painful procedure that disrupts the integrity of the skin.
No skin damage
Physical damage to the skin can be very unpleasant and difficult to tolerate. Therefore, Russian researchers developed the vaccine that does not need to be injected. “Microneedles could be used, as it is less painful and more effective. But this new method completely avoids physical damage to the skin,” noted one of the study’s authors, Julia Svenskaya.
There is a trend toward replacing these approaches with non-injection-based ones. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of percutaneous immunization methods. The skin contains a large number of innate immunity cells. Their activation is a prerequisite for the development of a strong adaptive immune response.
Vaccinating through the hair follicles ensures drug delivery without disturbing the integrity of the skin. It completely avoids the negative effects of traditional vaccination.
Scientists tested the technique on laboratory animals. They gave two groups of mice the same vaccine, but in different ways. One by intramuscular injection and the other by the new method. They then measured the level and composition of antibodies in the rodents’ blood. The total level of antibodies in the body of the subjects in both groups was almost identical.
Rapid absorption
The study proposed a new approach to seasonal influenza vaccination. Particles of about 0.9 micrometers were used as carriers of the flu vaccine. Julia Svenskaya emphasized that this size makes it possible to ensure that the follicles are filled with the vaccine. Calcium carbonate is part of the bone, is not rejected by the body and is rapidly resorbed.
The results of the study were published in. Journal of Materials Chemistry B.
