Biodegradable adhesive could replace
traditional method of vaccination
U.S. researchers are developing a vaccine in the form of adhesive that can replacetraditional syringes, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
The adhesive is composed of one hundred microscopic needles of 0.65 mm in lengththat will dissolve when in contact with the skin, allowing also the self-vaccinating.
Developed by Emory University and scientific center at Georgia Institute ofTechnology, this new material was tested in rats and proved to be even moreeffective immunization against diseases like flu that syringes. Animals receiving theinfluenza vaccine through the adhesives developed an immune system more resilientthan those who received the vaccine by the traditional method.
This new technology also allows the application of vaccines in large scale duringpandemics or disaster situations, since it need not be administered by a specialist.
Another advantage has to do with the fact that "no needles are left in dangerousprocess " of vaccination, says Richard Compans, Emory University and co-author of the article, adding they plan to do some tests on humans in the near future.