Thousands of people die of hepatitis B every year. Children are especially in danger. Because of the high cost and stable environmental conditions required for vaccine storage, many people in developing countries are not vaccinated against this dangerous virus. As a result, researchers have been working on the production of drop or powdered oral vaccines. Oral vaccination is cheaper and easier to manage than injections. However, researchers have not yet developed a sufficiently effective oral hepatitis B vaccine.
Researchers from the University of S ã o Paulo and the Butantan Institute, in collaboration with physicists at the Niels Bohr Institute, have introduced to the pharmaceutical community a technology that can help develop the best oral hepatitis B vaccine.
“We have used techniques commonly used in solid-state physics to explore the behavior of vaccines in specific types of packaging. This has produced key information that could not have been achieved. When we scientists venture beyond our comfort zone and deploy each other’s interdisciplinary knowledge, new possibilities can emerge, “said Heloisa Bordallo, an associate professor at the Niels Bohr Institute. The results were published in a recent issue of the journal Scientific Reports.
Three dimensional insight
One of the main challenges in making oral vaccines is to wrap them in materials that can withstand the harsh conditions of our digestive system to protect the vaccine from destruction until it reaches its intended in vivo destination. Danish research team partners in Brazil have long known that silica material SBA-15 is ideal for encapsulating hepatitis B vaccines. However, they do not know exactly how the material protects the vaccine. Nor are they sure why their vaccines are not always fully effective.
This is where the Danish team of physicists entered the field. Using a special technology that combines X-ray and neutron imaging, researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute were able to generate 3D images of the interior of SBA-15 silicone. It marks a key step in the development of drugs using this technology. The image allows researchers to understand the performance of the vaccine within silica up to the particle size. In addition, they were able to see that the vaccine had a tendency to aggregate in silica, reducing its effect.
“Now we know what makes the vaccine less effective and how to optimize it. We know exactly how much vaccine should be put into silicon capsules to make it work best in the body and to better explain clinical trials, “Heloisa explained.
Advantages of needleless vaccine
Another lead author, Martin K. Rasmussen, a former student from Niels Bohr Institute and a current doctoral student in DTU, explains that the vaccine is particularly suitable for developing countries.
“Getting rid of a needle into a child’s arm is an advantage in itself. It also eliminates possible side effects, such as swelling and infection. Moreover, unlike the vaccines used today, this type of vaccine does not need to be refrigerated. As a result, costs will be reduced and vaccine management will be mitigated. “
The researchers hope that 3D technology can also be used to develop oral vaccines against several other diseases. The goal of the Danish researchers’ Brazilian partner is to produce a 6-in-1 oral vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib and hepatitis B.