Skin vaccination against cervical cancer associated human papillomavirus with a novel micro-projection array in a mouse model.
BACKGROUND
Better delivery systems are needed for routinely used vaccines, to improve vaccine uptake. Many vaccines contain alum or alum based adjuvants. Here we investigate a novel dry-coated densely-packed micro-projection array skin patch (Nanopatch™) as an alternate delivery system to intramuscular injection for delivering an alum adjuvanted human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil®) commonly used as a prophylactic vaccine against cervical cancer.


RESULTS
Micro-projection arrays dry-coated with vaccine material (Gardasil®) delivered to C57BL/6 mouse ear skin released vaccine within 5 minutes. To assess vaccine immunogenicity, doses of corresponding to HPV-16 component of the vaccine between 0.43 ± 0.084 ng and 300 ± 120 ng (mean ± SD) were administered to mice at day 0 and day 14. A dose of 55 ± 6.0 ng delivered intracutaneously by micro-projection array was sufficient to produce a maximal virus neutralizing serum antibody response at day 28 post vaccination. Neutralizing antibody titres were sustained out to 16 weeks post vaccination, and, for comparable doses of vaccine, somewhat higher titres were observed with intracutaneous patch delivery than with intramuscular delivery with the needle and syringe at this time point.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of dry micro-projection arrays (Nanopatch™) has the potential to overcome the need for a vaccine cold chain for common vaccines currently delivered by needle and syringe, and to reduce risk of needle-stick injury and vaccine avoidance due to the fear of the needle especially among children.
Delivery of Drugs and Genes Group, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Holly J
HJ
Corbett
Germain J P
GJ
Fernando
Xianfeng
X
Chen
Ian H
IH
Frazer
Mark A F
MA
Kendall
D052685:Alphapapillomavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D000068857:Human Papillomavirus Recombinant Vaccine Quadrivalent, Types 6, 11, 16, 18; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D023421:Models, Animal; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000068857:Human Papillomavirus Recombinant Vaccine Quadrivalent, Types 6, 11, 16, 18; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines