New ‘Self-Boosting’ Vaccines Combine Multiple Doses Into A Single Shot

While many of us are vaccinated against COVID-19, one can’t help but think back to when the shots were first available, and the snaking lines to receive both doses of the vital protection. 

In order to make things more efficient, researchers at MIT have developed microparticles that can be used to create “self-boosting” vaccines that deliver separate doses of payloads into the bloodstream at different times.

By tinkering with how the particles—which are made from PLGA, a biocompatible polymer that’s often used for implants and prosthetics—degrade over time, scientists will be able to determine when they release their contents. 

For example, instead of having to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in two instances,  a single shot with multiple microparticles—which resemble tiny coffee cups with a sealed lid—will comprise one particle programmed to “open” or release its dose a month after the other.

According to the study’s researchers, this particular method of delivery could be most beneficial for administering childhood vaccines to rural areas where there is a lack of convenient access to medical care. 

“This is a platform that can be broadly applicable to all types of vaccines, including recombinant protein-based vaccines, DNA-based vaccines, even RNA-based vaccines,” explained Ana Jaklenec, a research scientist at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

Going forward, the team hopes to learn more about how this system can be used to deliver other therapeutics, including cancer drugs, hormone therapy, and biological drugs. 

[via New Atlas and MIT, cover image via Attila Németh | Dreamstime.com]