The Success of Microneedle-mediated Vaccine Delivery into Skin

Overview

Journal Hum Vaccin Immunother

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2016 Apr 7

PMID 27050528

Citations 59

Authors

Sarah Marshall

Laura J Sahm

Anne C Moore

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Microneedles (MNs) are designed to specifically target the outermost, skin barrier layer, the stratum corneum, creating transient pathways for minimally invasive transcutaneous delivery. It is reported that MNs can facilitate delivery without stimulating the pain receptors or damaging blood vessels that lie beneath, thus being perceived as painless and associated with reduced bleeding. This immunocompetence of the skin, coupled with its ease of access, makes this organ an attractive vaccination site. The purpose of this review was to collate primary scientific literature pertaining to MN-mediated in vivo vaccination programmes. A total of 62 original research articles are presented, compiling vaccination strategies in 6 different models (mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, pig, macaque and human). Vaccines tested span a wide range of viral, bacterial and protozoan pathogens and includes 7 of the 13 vaccine-preventable diseases, as defined by the WHO. This review highlights the paucity of available clinical trial data. MN-delivered vaccines have demonstrated safety and immunogenicity in pre-clinical models and boast desirable attributes such as painless administration, thermostability, dose-sparing capacity and the potential for self-administration. These advantages should contribute to enhanced global vaccine access.

Citing Articles

Skin patch delivery of a SARS-CoV-2 spike DNA vaccine produces broad neutralising antibody responses.

McMillan C, Corner A, Wijesundara D, Choo J, Pittayakhajonwut D, Poredi I Heliyon. 2025; 11(4):e42533.

PMID: 40034315 PMC: 11872540. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42533.

Recent progress of polymeric microneedle-assisted long-acting transdermal drug delivery.

Meng F, Qiao X, Xin C, Ju X, He M J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2024; 27:12434.

PMID: 38571937 PMC: 10987780. DOI: 10.3389/jpps.2024.12434.

Advances in Translational Nanotechnology: Challenges and Opportunities.

Mohapatra S, Frisina R, Mohapatra S, Sneed K, Markoutsa E, Wang T Appl Sci (Basel). 2024; 10(14).

PMID: 38486792 PMC: 10938472. DOI: 10.3390/app10144881.

Three Dimensional Printing and Its Applications Focusing on Microneedles for Drug Delivery.

Al-Nimry S, Daghmash R Pharmaceutics. 2023; 15(6).

PMID: 37376046 PMC: 10302545. DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15061597.

Skin-Based Vaccination: A Systematic Mapping Review of the Types of Vaccines and Methods Used and Immunity and Protection Elicited in Pigs.

Co-Rives I, Chen A, Moore A Vaccines (Basel). 2023; 11(2).

PMID: 36851328 PMC: 9962282. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020450.

References

Ren Q, Xiong H, Li Y, Xu R, Zhu C . Evaluation of an outside-the-cold-chain vaccine delivery strategy in remote regions of western China. Public Health Rep. 2009; 124(5):745-50. PMC: 2728668. DOI: 10.1177/003335490912400517. View

Quan F, Kim Y, Song J, Hwang H, Compans R, Prausnitz M . Long-term protective immunity from an influenza virus-like particle vaccine administered with a microneedle patch. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2013; 20(9):1433-9. PMC: 3889580. DOI: 10.1128/CVI.00251-13. View

del Pilar Martin M, Weldon W, Zarnitsyn V, Koutsonanos D, Akbari H, Skountzou I . Local response to microneedle-based influenza immunization in the skin. mBio. 2012; 3(2):e00012-12. PMC: 3302568. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00012-12. View

Chaves S, Lynfield R, Lindegren M, Bresee J, Finelli L . The US Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network. Emerg Infect Dis. 2015; 21(9):1543-50. PMC: 4550140. DOI: 10.3201/eid2109.141912. View

Kim Y, Quan F, Compans R, Kang S, Prausnitz M . Formulation of microneedles coated with influenza virus-like particle vaccine. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2010; 11(3):1193-201. PMC: 2974157. DOI: 10.1208/s12249-010-9471-3. View

Lee H, Iwasaki A . Innate control of adaptive immunity: dendritic cells and beyond. Semin Immunol. 2007; 19(1):48-55. DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2006.12.001. View

Koutsonanos D, Esser E, McMaster S, Kalluri P, Lee J, Prausnitz M . Enhanced immune responses by skin vaccination with influenza subunit vaccine in young hosts. Vaccine. 2015; 33(37):4675-82. PMC: 5757502. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.01.086. View

Wang J, Li B, Wu M . Effective and lesion-free cutaneous influenza vaccination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015; 112(16):5005-10. PMC: 4413338. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1500408112. View

Escobar-Chavez J, Bonilla-Martinez D, Villegas-Gonzalez M, Molina-Trinidad E, Casas-Alancaster N, Revilla-Vazquez A . Microneedles: a valuable physical enhancer to increase transdermal drug delivery. J Clin Pharmacol. 2010; 51(7):964-77. DOI: 10.1177/0091270010378859. View

10.

Gill H, Prausnitz M . Coated microneedles for transdermal delivery. J Control Release. 2006; 117(2):227-37. PMC: 1853346. DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2006.10.017. View

11.

Bal S, Ding Z, Kersten G, Jiskoot W, Bouwstra J . Microneedle-based transcutaneous immunisation in mice with N-trimethyl chitosan adjuvanted diphtheria toxoid formulations. Pharm Res. 2010; 27(9):1837-47. PMC: 2920068. DOI: 10.1007/s11095-010-0182-y. View

12.

Kim Y, Song J, Lipatov A, Choi S, Lee J, Donis R . Increased immunogenicity of avian influenza DNA vaccine delivered to the skin using a microneedle patch. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2012; 81(2):239-47. PMC: 3362687. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2012.03.010. View

13.

Kim Y, Quan F, Yoo D, Compans R, Kang S, Prausnitz M . Improved influenza vaccination in the skin using vaccine coated microneedles. Vaccine. 2009; 27(49):6932-8. PMC: 2913971. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.08.108. View

14.

Song J, Kim Y, Lipatov A, Pearton M, Davis C, Yoo D . Microneedle delivery of H5N1 influenza virus-like particles to the skin induces long-lasting B- and T-cell responses in mice. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2010; 17(9):1381-9. PMC: 2944468. DOI: 10.1128/CVI.00100-10. View

15.

Hawkridge A, Hatherill M, Little F, Goetz M, Barker L, Mahomed H . Efficacy of percutaneous versus intradermal BCG in the prevention of tuberculosis in South African infants: randomised trial. BMJ. 2008; 337:a2052. PMC: 2583390. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a2052. View

16.

Lutton R, Larraneta E, Kearney M, Boyd P, Woolfson A, Donnelly R . A novel scalable manufacturing process for the production of hydrogel-forming microneedle arrays. Int J Pharm. 2015; 494(1):417-29. PMC: 4612468. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.08.049. View

17.

Kim Y, Yoo D, Compans R, Kang S, Prausnitz M . Cross-protection by co-immunization with influenza hemagglutinin DNA and inactivated virus vaccine using coated microneedles. J Control Release. 2013; 172(2):579-88. PMC: 3815987. DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.04.016. View

18.

Qiu Y, Guo L, Zhang S, Xu B, Gao Y, Hu Y . DNA-based vaccination against hepatitis B virus using dissolving microneedle arrays adjuvanted by cationic liposomes and CpG ODN. Drug Deliv. 2015; 23(7):2391-2398. DOI: 10.3109/10717544.2014.992497. View

19.

Kim Y, Quan F, Yoo D, Compans R, Kang S, Prausnitz M . Enhanced memory responses to seasonal H1N1 influenza vaccination of the skin with the use of vaccine-coated microneedles. J Infect Dis. 2009; 201(2):190-8. PMC: 2798016. DOI: 10.1086/649228. View

20.

Kim Y, Quan F, Compans R, Kang S, Prausnitz M . Formulation and coating of microneedles with inactivated influenza virus to improve vaccine stability and immunogenicity. J Control Release. 2009; 142(2):187-95. PMC: 2823933. DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.10.013. View