Production of Nano and Micro Particles via Ultrasonication for Biopharmaceutical Delivery
The ongoing threat of pandemic viruses coupled with the demand for being able to deliver vaccines in a safer and faster manner has lead to the need to reconsider current vaccination strategies. The presentation will outline an approach for assembling inorganic mesoporous silica – biodegradable polymer composite particles for the staged delivery of a prime-boost vaccination.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 12 billion injections are administered annually with 30% of these injections being unsafe. Nasal vaccines offer non-invasive administration, are easily accessible for larger population, and do not require trained persons to administer. DNA therapeutic molecules are poised to revolutionize human health as they are inherently stable and safer than most current vaccination and gene therapy strategies. Hence, an intranasally administered DNA based vaccine that could be delivered with a single clinic visit will greatly assist health programs around the world.
Biodegradable polymer particles tailored for nasal delivery, loaded with biomolecules and displaying high encapsulation (> 90%), were produced via a scalable and commercially viable method and displayed release profiles suitable for payload delivery under physiological conditions. In addition, mesoporous silica particles with ideal characteristics for the controlled release of protein have been synthesised and characterised. The physical characteristics of pore size diameter and BET surface area can be controlled via selection of the synthesis method. The individual components and the assembly of the vaccine delivery technology described above shall be discussed.