SBIR Phase I: Pulsed Electric Field Mediated Intradermal Vaccine Delivery (COVID-19)

这一小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发更有效的特定疫苗交付技术。提出的技术提高了DNA疫苗递送的效率，同时提高了患者的安全性并减少了不必要的细胞死亡。这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将解决对管理DNA疫苗的创新技术的需求。在正在开发的疫苗中，DNA疫苗尤其有希望，因为它们有可能诱导阳性体液和细胞免疫反应，避免抗媒介免疫挑战，易于规模化生产，并且在室温下稳定；然而，这些疫苗需要额外的辅助才能将大的DNA分子运送到靶细胞中。拟议的研究将证明一种新的疫苗递送方法的可行性，该方法利用超短电脉冲安全有效地增强临床相关体积的皮下组织中DNA疫苗的递送。提出的研究范围包括设计一种新的基于尖端晶体管的脉冲产生拓扑结构，并在体外皮肤模型中评估以前无法实现的波形。这些实验的数据将用于计算多物理场模拟，以优化临床应用器的设计。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact / commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of more efficient delivery techniques for specific vaccines. The proposed technology increases the efficiency of DNA vaccine delivery while improving patient safety and reducing unwanted cell death. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will address the need for innovative technologies for administering DNA vaccines. Among the vaccines in development, DNA vaccines are particularly promising as they have the potential to induce positive humoral and cellular immune responses, avoid anti-vector immunity challenges, are easily scaled for production, and are stable at room temperature; However, these vaccines require an additional assist to transport the large DNA molecules into target cells. The proposed research will demonstrate the feasibility of a new approach to vaccine delivery which utilizes ultrashort electrical pulses to safely and effectively enhance DNA vaccine delivery in clinically relevant volumes of sub-dermal tissue. The scope of the proposed research includes designing a new pulse generation topology based around cutting edge transistors and evaluating previously unachievable waveforms in an in vitro skin model. Data from these experiments will then be used in computational multiphysics simulations to optimize the design of clinical applicators.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.