Drug Delivery: Composite Dissolving Microneedles for Coordinated Control of Antigen and Adjuvant Delivery Kinetics in Transcutaneous Vaccination (Adv. Funct. Mater. 2/2013)

Skin patches containing micrometer-scale needles (“microneedles”) provide a safe, convenient, and pain-free approach for effective delivery of vaccines and pharmaceuticals. Paula T. Hammond, Darrell J. Irvine, and co-workers report on page 161 the design and use of a composite microneedle architecture for rapid cutaneous delivery and coordinated control over the release of antigen and adjuvant vaccine components for improved immunization in mice.