Scientists have developed a 3D-printed microneedle vaccine patch patients can apply to their skin, offering a pain-free alternative to traditional injections. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say you can store these patches at room temperature for months, making them ideal for large-scale shipments to developing nations.
“We could someday have on-demand vaccine production. If, for example, there was an Ebola outbreak in a particular region, one could ship a few of these printers there and vaccinate the people in that location,” says study co-author Dr. Ana Jaklenec in a media release, who adds this technique has the potential to revolutionize immunization programs.
A vaccine “ink” is injected into molds by a robotic arm and then drawn to the tips using a vacuum chamber. The resulting patches, about the size of a thumbnail, contain hundreds of microneedles that enable the vaccine to dissolve. Experiments found these patches to be as effective at protecting mice against COVID-19 as traditional injections.
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