Thanks to a silica shell, they can withstand transport and storage in areas over 100°C.
This discovery could revolutionize vaccination in the future. From researchers from the University of Bath (UK) placed the active proteins of the tetanus vaccine in a shell made of silica. The technique makes it possible to preserve the active ingredients of the product, even when transporting it without refrigeration or exposing it to high temperatures.
Vaccines sent by post
Scientists call this method “ensilication” in English, it means hermetically surrounding a substance with silica, a product naturally present in the environment. They sent tetanus vaccines by post: one part was in a silica capsule, the other was in its usual container. The samples were transported almost 500 km, between Bath and Newcastle, a journey of two to three days.
Upon arrival, the researchers injected the doses into mice. They found that the vaccine carried in a silica shell still worked, as an immune response could be observed. On the other hand, that transported in a classic container did not cause this reaction in mice. For the scientific team, this is a sign that the product has been damaged during transport. “This is really important dataemphasizes Dr. Asel Sartbaeva, director of this scientific project, because it shows us that this technique makes it possible to preserve the structure of the proteins of the vaccine, but also their functioning, that is to say their immunogenicity.” Other trials have also shown that this preservation technique helps protect the vaccine when exposed to high temperatures, up to 100°C.
The hope of eradicating certain diseases
The researchers want to extend this technique, and conduct trials on the vaccine against diphtheria and the one against whooping cough. Eventually, they would like to be able to use it for DTP: the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and polio, given to young children. “Thus all children around the world could receive DTP infections”, adds the scientist. For her, the longer-term goal is to eradicate diseases for which a vaccine is available in poor countries, by “using non-thermosensitive vaccines and cutting dependence on refrigerated chains”. According to his estimates, nearly 50% of the doses of vaccine available in the world are destroyed before their use due to exposure to excessively high temperatures.
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