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Scientists atStanford Universityand theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill(UNC) have produced a 3D printed vaccine patch which they claim provides greater protection than a typical vaccine shot.
据报道，微针斑块直接应用于皮肤上，其免疫反应比通过针刺刺入的疫苗传递到手臂肌肉的疫苗大10倍。微针贴片还具有其他优势，包括轻松而无痛的交付以及自我管理的潜力。
“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,” said Joseph DeSimone, the lead author of the study and Co-founder of 3D printer OEMCarbon. “One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned during the pandemic is that innovation in science and technology can make or break a global response.
“Thankfully we have biotech and health care workers pushing the envelope for us all.”
微针斑块的优点
长期以来，疫苗接种一直是有助于预防传染病的基本公共卫生措施，去年对保护全球人口的努力至关重要。虽然通常通过皮下注射针头施用疫苗，但已经研究并开发了微针斑块数十年。
3D printing technology is being increasingly utilized to improve the customization and accuracy of microneedle patches, which provide a non-invasive and painless approach to vaccination. Able to be self-administered, the patches provide a more attractive alternative to those with a phobia of needles while reducing the need for trained personnel to administer vaccines.
这些斑块通常由排列在聚合物斑块上的细小的3D印刷微针形成，并直接涂在皮肤上。然后，疫苗靶向存在于皮肤中的免疫细胞并产生抗原特异性抗体反应。
微针贴片还具有后勤优势。通过针的疫苗通常需要在冰箱或冷冻机中冷藏，通常需要前往诊所，医院或疫苗接种中心。相比之下，可以将疫苗涂覆的微针斑块运送到世界任何地方，而无需特殊处理，并且可以自我管理，这意味着患者的医院或诊所的旅行较少。
The scientists believe that such benefits could potentially encourage higher vaccination rates in the future.
3D printing the microneedle patch
The majority of microneedle vaccines are created through molding techniques, however such methods can lack in versatility and lead to reduced needle sharpness during replication. There have also been challenges in adapting microneedles to different vaccine types, according to Shaomin Tian, lead study author and researcher in the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
她说：“这些问题加上制造业的挑战，可以说阻止了微针的领域进行疫苗输送。”“我们的方法使我们能够直接打印微针，这为我们提供了许多设计纬度，从而从性能和成本观察点中获得最佳的微针。”
The microneedle patches developed by the Stanford and UNC scientists were 3D printed using a prototype 3D printer from Carbon, based on the firm’s连续液体界面生产（夹子）技术。
该研究的结果表明，疫苗贴片产生了明显的T细胞和抗原特异性抗体反应，据报道，疫苗比在皮肤下递送的典型注射剂大50倍。观察到所得的免疫反应比直接输送到手臂肌肉的疫苗大10倍。
According to the scientists, the heightened immune response could pave the way towards dose sparing, where a microneedle vaccine patch would be used to deliver a smaller dose of a particular vaccine while still triggering a similar immune response as a vaccine delivered with a needle and syringe would. Potentially, this could go some way towards better managing vaccine supply and demand, and ensuring that more people have access to vital vaccines.
Going forward, the Stanford and UNC teams will continue to formulate vaccines such as the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines into 3D printed microneedle patches for future testing.
More information on the study can be found in the paper titled:“Transdermal vaccination via 3D printed microneedles induces potent humoral and cellular immunity,”published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) journal. The study was co-authored by C. Caudill, J. Perry, K. lliadis, A. Tessema, B. Lee, B. Mecham, S. Tian, and J. DeSimone.
Microneedle 3D printing
Substantial research has been undertaken in leveraging 3D printing technologies to produce microneedle patches in previous years. 3D printing allows greater customization and repeatability over traditional micromolding techniques, and enables the patches to be manufactured on-demand. This removes the need for storage space within clinics and laboratories while side-stepping the high initial tooling costs of micromolding methods.
In 2018, for instance, scientists at the德克萨斯大学达拉斯大学developed a new low-cost制作微针阵列的方法using an FFF 3D printer, while earlier this year researchers fromRutgers Universityused a Projection micro-stereolithography technique to create4D印刷生物启动和可编程的微针that enhance tissue adhesion.
Elsewhere, scientists fromArizona State Universityand the南加州大学teamed up to produce3D打印的微针贴片灵感启发，可用于将来将药物无痛地提供给患者。
最近，一种新型设备结合了3D打印，微针和微电机械系统(MEMS) was produced by the肯特大学and theUniversity of Strathclyde, which could be leveraged to provide controllable transdermal drug delivery.
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特色图片显示scientists at Stanford University and UNC use 3D printing to create a microneedle vaccine patch. Photo via UNC.
