A microneedle vaccine printer for thermostable COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
Aurélien Vander StraetenMorteza SarmadiJohn L DaristotleMaria KanelliLisa H TostanoskiJoe CollinsApurva PardeshiJooli HanDhruv VarshneyBehnaz EshaghiJohnny GarciaTimothy A ForsterGary LiNandita MenonSydney L PyonLinzixuan ZhangCatherine Jacob-DolanOlivia C PowersKevin HallShahad K AlsaiariMorris WolfMark W TibbittRobert FarraDan H BarouchRobert S LangerAna JaklenecPublished in: Nature biotechnology (2023)
Decentralized manufacture of thermostable mRNA vaccines in a microneedle patch (MNP) format could enhance vaccine access in low-resource communities by eliminating the need for a cold chain and trained healthcare personnel. Here we describe an automated process for printing MNP Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines in a standalone device. The vaccine ink is composed of lipid nanoparticles loaded with mRNA and a dissolvable polymer blend that was optimized for high bioactivity by screening formulations in vitro. We demonstrate that the resulting MNPs are shelf stable for at least 6 months at room temperature when assessed using a model mRNA construct. Vaccine loading efficiency and microneedle dissolution suggest that efficacious, microgram-scale doses of mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles could be delivered with a single patch. Immunizations in mice using manually produced MNPs with mRNA encoding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein receptor-binding domain stimulate long-term immune responses similar to those of intramuscular administration.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- coronavirus disease
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- binding protein
- healthcare
- room temperature
- immune response
- drug delivery
- toll like receptor
- fatty acid
- ionic liquid
- social media
- inflammatory response
- adipose tissue
- skeletal muscle
- type diabetes
- cancer therapy
- insulin resistance
- resistance training
- high fat diet induced
- dna binding