Microneedle technology for potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine delivery

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Microneedle fabrication was conceptualized in the 1970s as devices for painless transdermal drug delivery. The last two decades have seen considerable research and financial investment in this area with SARS-CoV-2 and other vaccines catalyzing their application to in vivo intradermal vaccine delivery. Microneedle arrays have been fabricated in different shapes, geometries, formats, and out of different materials.

Areas covered

The recent pandemic has offered microneedle platforms the opportunity to be employed as a vehicle for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administration. Various modes of vaccination delivery and the potential of microneedle array-based vaccines will be presented, with a specific focus placed on recent SARS-CoV-2 research. The advantages of microneedle-based vaccine administration, in addition to the major hurdles to their en masse implementation, will be examined.

Expert opinion

Considering the widely acknowledged disadvantages of current vaccine delivery, such as anxiety, pain, and the requirement for professional administration, a large shift in this research sphere is imminent. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has catalyzed the development of alternate vaccination platforms, working to avoid the requirement for mass vaccination centers. As microneedle vaccine patches are transitioning through clinical study phases, research will be required to prepare this technology for a more mass production environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Microneedles
• skin vaccine
• pain-free
• minimally invasive
• SARS-CoV-2
• vaccination
• vaccine patch
• theranostics

Article highlights

• The preferred mode of vaccination delivery has not evolved since hypodermic needles were invented in 1852, despite the vaccination technology itself undergoing huge advancement

• The use of microneedles to create cavities in the skin for drug delivery was conceptualized in 1976, however the technology at the time prevented their advancement

• The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the need for advancement in medical devices for vaccine delivery, mitigating professional administration and cold-chain storage requirements

• Recent research has reported on novel microneedle array patches with impressive thermostability over prolonged periods

• Furthermore, microneedles have demonstrated significant dose sparing, with as great as 10-fold increases in immunogenicity compared to traditional delivery modes. This offers the potential to eradicate vaccine shortages, which was experienced during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.