Mass deployable self-administered DNA vaccines by Microneedle Arrays

虽然信使核糖核酸疫苗战略提供了对COVID19大流行的快速反应，但扩大生产和冷链要求的问题限制了它们对发展中国家和兽医使用的适用性。随着病毒性疾病越来越多地出现和重新出现，其中大多数是人畜共患病，人们越来越重视开发技术，以提高大规模疫苗接种的速度和成本效益。质粒DNA(PDNA)是一种更稳定、更顺从的核酸疫苗载体，但需要创新的策略来提高免疫原性和递送能力。此外，对医务人员的需求、冷链/储存和针头侵入性递送也是大规模部署的负面因素。学生将专注于关键开发所需的全球快速部署疫苗，采用我们目前正在为COVID19(Innovate UK)和寨卡病毒(SBRI)翻译的PDNA战略。EPSRC和CDT的主题1.先进的产品设计，2.制药工艺工程，与这项提议非常一致，旨在通过开发一个有效的疫苗平台，用创新的方法产生可伸缩的微针皮内给药，解决核酸疫苗的设计和工艺工程瓶颈。

Although mRNA vaccine strategies have provided a rapid response to the COVID19 pandemic, issues of production scale-up and cold-chain requirements restrict their suitability for developing countries and veterinary use. With the increasing emergence and re-emergence of viral diseases, most of which are zoonotic, there is increased focus on developing technologies that increase the speed and cost-effectiveness of mass vaccination. Plasmid DNA (pDNA) is a more stable and amenable vector for nucleic acid vaccines but innovative strategies to improve immunogenicity and delivery are required. Furthermore, the requirement of medical staff, cold-chain/storage and invasive delivery by needle, are also negative factors in mass deployment.The studentship will focus on the key development needed of globally rapidly deployable vaccines employing pDNA strategies we are presently translating for COVID19 (Innovate UK) and Zika (SBRI). The EPSRC and CDT themes of 1. Advanced product design, 2. Pharmaceutical Process Engineering, align strongly with this proposal, which aims to address design and process engineering bottle-necks of nucleic acid vaccines by exploiting an efficacious vaccine platform, with innovate methods to generate scalable intradermal delivery by microneedles.