Microneedles?
That's right, tiny little needles so small you don't even feel them.
Attached to a patch like a Band-Aid, the little needles barely penetrate
the skin before they dissolve and release their vaccine.Researchers
led by Mark Prausnitz of Georgia Institute of Technology reported their
research on microneedles in Sunday's edition of Nature Medicine.The
business side of the patch feels like fine sandpaper, he said. In tests
of microneedles without vaccine, people rated the discomfort at
one-tenth to one-twentieth that of getting a standard injection, he
said. Nearly everyone said it was painless.Some medications are
already delivered by patches, such as nicotine patches for people trying
to quit smoking. That's simply absorbed through the skin. But attempts
to develop patches with the flu vaccine absorbed through the skin have
not been successful so far.In the Georgia Tech work, the vaccine is still injected.But the needles are so small that they don't hurt and it doesn't take any special training to use this kind of patch.So two problems are solved right away — fear of needles, and disposal of leftover hypodermic needles."The
goal has been a means to administer the vaccine that is patient
friendly," Mark R. Prausnitz of Georgia Tech said in a telephone
interview.That means "not only not hurting or looking scary, but
that patients could self-administer," he said, and people would be more
likely to get the flu vaccine.By developing needles that dissolve,
there are no leftover sharp needles, especially important for people who
might give themselves the vaccine at home, he said.The patch, which
has been tested on mice, was developed in collaboration by researchers
at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Prausnitz said. The researchers
are now seeking funds to begin tests in people and, if all goes well,
the patch could be in use in five years, he said.Flu vaccination is
recommended for nearly everyone, every year, and that's a big burden on
the public health network, Prausnitz noted. Many people don't get the
shot because it's inconvenient, but if they could get in the mail or at
the pharmacy they might do so, he said.The patch is placed on the
skin and left for 5 minutes to 15 minutes, he said. It can remain longer
without doing any damage, he said. In tests on mice, the miocroneedles
delivered a correct dose of the flu vaccine.The little needles are
650 microns (three-hundredths of an inch) in length and there are 100 on
the patch used in the mouse study.Asked if the term "microneedle"
might still frighten some folks averse to shots, Prausnitz said he was
confident that marketers would come up with a better term before any
sales began.The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
— Online: Nature Medicine: http://nature.com/naturemedicine 181731 jul 10GMT
