A dual-delivery platform for vaccination using antigen-loaded nanoparticles in dissolving microneedles

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Painless and effective vaccination methods are crucial for global health.
• Current vaccine delivery systems often face challenges with patient compliance and administration.
• Transdermal delivery offers a minimally invasive alternative for vaccine administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel dual-delivery platform for transdermal vaccination.
• To create fast-dissolving microneedles (dMNs) loaded with antigen-encapsulating nanoparticles (NPs).
• To evaluate the feasibility and translatability of this dMN platform for vaccine delivery.

Main Methods:

• Screening of biocompatible polymers and sugars for dMN formulation.
• Loading poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) NPs with a model influenza M2 antigen into dMNs.
• Assessing mechanical strength, dissolution properties, and antigen-loading efficiency.
• Evaluating ex vivo skin penetration and in vivo pore formation in murine models.

Main Results:

• Seven dMN formulations were screened, with a lead formulation optimized for mechanical strength and dissolution.
• The lead dMN formulation successfully encapsulated M2 antigen-loaded PLGA NPs.
• Ex vivo studies demonstrated reproducibility and translatability across murine and porcine skin.
• In vivo evaluation confirmed pore formation and closure after dMN application.

Conclusions:

• A well-characterized, translatable antigen NP-loaded dMN platform for transdermal vaccine administration was successfully developed.
• This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of dMNs for painless and effective vaccine delivery.
• The platform is easy to formulate and shows promise for future vaccine development and administration.