How can biomaterials be used to make vaccines safer?

2 How can biomaterials improve vaccine stability?

One of the main challenges of vaccine development and distribution is to ensure that the vaccine components, such as antigens, adjuvants, or preservatives, remain stable and effective under different conditions. This can be affected by factors such as temperature, humidity, light, or pH. Biomaterials can help to protect the vaccine components from degradation or loss of activity by providing physical or chemical barriers, such as coatings, encapsulations, or matrices. For example, some biomaterials, such as polymers, liposomes, or nanoparticles, can form micro- or nano-scale structures that can encapsulate the vaccine components and release them in a controlled manner. This can also reduce the need for refrigeration or cold chain logistics, which can lower the cost and increase the accessibility of vaccines.

3 How can biomaterials enhance vaccine delivery?

Another challenge of vaccine administration is to ensure that the vaccine components reach the target site and elicit the desired immune response. This can depend on factors such as the route, dose, frequency, or timing of vaccination. Biomaterials can help to optimize the vaccine delivery by providing spatial or temporal control, such as localization, targeting, or modulation. For example, some biomaterials, such as microneedles, patches, or implants, can enable transdermal or subcutaneous delivery of vaccines, which can avoid the pain and risks of injections. Some biomaterials, such as antibodies, ligands, or peptides, can also bind to specific receptors or cells and direct the vaccine components to the relevant tissues or organs. Some biomaterials, such as hydrogels, microspheres, or biodegradable polymers, can also regulate the release rate or duration of the vaccine components and induce sustained or enhanced immune responses.

4 How can biomaterials increase vaccine efficacy?

A third challenge of vaccine design is to ensure that the vaccine components induce a strong and specific immune response that can protect against the pathogen or disease. This can depend on factors such as the antigen type, amount, or presentation, as well as the adjuvant type, amount, or mode of action. Biomaterials can help to improve the vaccine efficacy by providing immunological or functional enhancement, such as amplification, diversification, or modulation. For example, some biomaterials, such as nanoparticles, microparticles, or dendrimers, can act as adjuvants themselves or enhance the adjuvant activity of other substances by increasing the antigen uptake, processing, or presentation by immune cells. Some biomaterials, such as DNA, RNA, or proteins, can also act as antigens themselves or enhance the antigen diversity or specificity by encoding or displaying multiple or novel epitopes. Some biomaterials, such as cytokines, chemokines, or toll-like receptor agonists, can also modulate the immune response by stimulating or suppressing different types or subsets of immune cells.