Jessica Joyce
PhD Proposal Presentation
Date: Monday, October 27, 2014
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Marcus Nano Room 1116

Committee Members:
Advisor: Mark Prausnitz, PhD (ChBE/BME, Georgia Tech)
Krishnendu Roy, PhD (BME, Georgia Tech)
Philip Santangelo, PhD (BME, Georgia Tech)
Julie Champion (ChBE, Georgia Tech)
Paul Rota (CDC)

Title: Measles/rubella vaccination and controlled release vaccination using microneedle patches

Abstract:
According to the World Health Organization, over 1.5 million children under the age of 5 died in 2008 due to vaccine preventable diseases. Large campaigns attempting to vaccinate these children face numerous challenges. Microneedle (MN) patches consist of micron-scale projections that can penetrate the upper layers of the skin to deliver vaccines without causing pain. These patches eliminate many of the difficulties of vaccination by reducing costs and easing logistics. Key MN benefits such as (1) ability to be administered using minimally trained personnel, (2) removal or reduced use of the cold chain, and (3) elimination of sharps biohazardous waste make them of great potential value to vaccination campaigns.

Measles and rubella (MR) vaccines are typically administered together. In mass vaccination campaigns, MN patches may simplify vaccination and increase coverage. In previous studies, MNs have shown promise as a method for measles vaccine delivery. The first goal of this proposal is to create an immunogenic, thermally stable MR MN patch. Using a high-throughput screening method, we will identify excipients which stabilize MR vaccines at elevated temperatures for up to one year. The top excipient will be utilized to fabricate microneedle patches which will be tested in juvenile and infant rhesus macaques.

Controlled release of antigen is another key strategy for increasing vaccination coverage. This method may reduce the number of doses or enable dose sparing. However, no one has studied the release kinetics necessary for the greatest immunogenicity; furthermore, this strategy has not yet been applied to a microneedle patch. The second goal of this proposal is to optimize vaccine controlled release profile in the skin and develop a microneedle patch that mimics this release profile. The approach will utilize daily intradermal injections to mimic extended release profiles. Using this approach we will identify ideal release profiles and vaccines. In the final aim of this proposal, we will fabricate a dissolving microneedle patch with extended release.

At the conclusion of this work, two novel MN patches will be produced: (1) thermostable patches for MR vaccination and (2) patches for controlled release vaccination to increase immunogenicity. These patches can be valuable components of vaccination campaigns. The technology developed in this proposal can be expanded to other vaccines and therapeutics, increasing the impact of the work.