Journal Article

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination using a microneedle patch

Nandakumar, Subhadra, Choi, Seong-O, Prausnitz, Mark R., Kim, Yeu-Chun, Posey, James E., Lee, Jeong Woo, Sable, Suraj B., Hiraishi, Yasuhiro

2011

Overview

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis continues to be a leading cause of mortality among bacterial diseases, and the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine for human use against this disease. TB prevention and control would benefit from an improved method of BCG vaccination that simplifies logistics and eliminates dangers posed by hypodermic needles without compromising immunogenicity. Here, we report the design and engineering of a BCG-coated microneedle vaccine patch for a simple and improved intradermal delivery of the vaccine. The microneedle vaccine patch induced a robust cell-mediated immune response in both the lungs and the spleen of guinea pigs. The response was comparable to the traditional hypodermic needle based intradermal BCG vaccination and was characterized by a strong antigen specific lymphocyte proliferation and IFN-γ levels with high frequencies of CD4 +IFN-γ +, CD4 +TNF-α + and CD4 +IFN-γ +TNF-α + T cells. The BCG-coated microneedle vaccine patch was highly immunogenic in guinea pigs and supports further exploration of this new technology as a simpler, safer, and compliant vaccination that could facilitate increased coverage, especially in developing countries that lack adequate healthcare infrastructure.

• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd,Elsevier,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / Administration, Cutaneous / AIDS / Allergy and Immunology / Animals / antigens / Applied microbiology / Bacterial diseases / Bacteriology / BCG / BCG Vaccine - administration & dosage / BCG Vaccine - immunology / Biological and medical sciences / CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology / Cell Proliferation / Developing countries / engineering / Female / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / gamma -Interferon / Guinea Pigs / health services / humans / Hypodermic needle / Hypodermic needles / Immune response / Immune response (cell-mediated) / Immunogenicity / infrastructure / interferon-gamma / Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis / LDCs / Lung / Lung - immunology / lungs / lymphocyte proliferation / Lymphocytes / Lymphocytes T / Microbiology / Microneedle patch / Miscellaneous / Mortality / Mycobacterium bovis BCG / Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Skin / Spleen / Spleen - immunology / T-lymphocytes / Technological change / technology / Tuberculosis / Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis / Vaccination / Vaccination - instrumentation / Vaccination - methods / Vaccines / Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects)