According to reports, researchers at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have demonstrated a new way to protect vaccines from high temperatures. A proof-of-concept study showed that this approach can maintain vaccine activity at temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius for up to three months.
Daniel Layton, a researcher working on the project, explains, "Vaccination is undoubtedly one of the most effective medical interventions, saving millions of lives each year. However, the provision of vaccines, especially to developing countries, is a challenge, as they often lack the refrigerated supply chains needed to maintain vaccine activity. ”
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 50% of vaccines are wasted each year. One of the key factors contributing to this waste is the challenge of keeping vaccines at stable low temperatures. Most vaccines need to be kept in the temperature range of 2-8 ° C to prevent degradation. Some vaccines, especially the new mRNA vaccine, need to be kept at lower sub-zero temperatures.
CSIRO's new invention uses a porous, soluble crystalline material called a metal-organic framework (MOF). This material envelops vaccine molecules, protecting them from thermal degradation until a vaccine needs to be injected. The researchers then added a solution to dissolve the MOF coating and then injected the vaccine as usual.
Cara Doherty, a senior scientist on the project, said: "MOF is a porous crystalline material that can grow around the vaccine, forming a scaffold that prevents temperature changes. MOF works similarly to scaffolding that you might place around your house, and once you remove the scaffolding, your house is still there – that's how we dissolve MOF in vaccines. ”
To test the new technique, the researchers looked at two commonly used live virus vaccines. Both vaccines, one for poultry disease and the other for influenza, usually degrade within a few days if not stored in the refrigerator.
Layton said, "Live virus vaccines are very effective, but their complex composition makes them susceptible to high temperatures, and a universal stabilization technique has not yet been found." "Experimental results show that the MOF coating protects both vaccines for 12 weeks at room temperature and temperatures up to 37 °C. Combined imaging showed that the vaccine survived three months of non-freezing storage.
The researchers note that because MOF coatings need to be optimized and tested on other kinds of vaccines, such as mRNA, there is more work to be done before the coating can be commercialized and deployed in the real world. The new study was published in the Acta Biomaterialia.
But Ruhani Singh, lead author of the new study, is optimistic that the new approach will significantly increase access to vaccines around the world. Singh said the technology is inexpensive and easy to scale, meaning it can quickly move into the current vaccine production process.
"This is the world's first method of stabilizing a vaccine with MOFs, and it's simple, fast, and scalable because it only takes one step." Singh added.