[ti:Scientists Say Vaccine ‘Patch’ More Effective than Injections] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]American scientists say they have created a vaccine patch [00:06.84]that provides greater protection [00:10.16]against infectious diseases than traditional injections. [00:16.96]A 3D printer is used to make the patch, [00:21.72]which is smaller than the tip of a finger. [00:26.08]Each patch – which contains many small [00:29.84]“micro-needles” – can be put directly on the skin. [00:35.48]The researchers said in a statement the experiments showed [00:41.12]the patch provided an immune response 10 times greater [00:46.92]than vaccines injected into arm muscles. [00:51.44]And they reported it offered an immune response [00:55.88]50 times greater than vaccines injected under the skin. [01:02.32]The tests were carried out on mice, [01:05.76]with plans to expand the experiments to humans. [01:10.60]The results were recently described in a study [01:15.36]published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). [01:22.24]The team was led by scientists from Stanford University [01:28.00]and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. [01:34.08]The researchers say the increased effectiveness happens [01:39.24]because the patch releases substances directly into the skin, [01:45.52]which is full of immune cells that are targeted by vaccines. [01:51.88]The scientists say that in addition to the patch vaccine [01:57.52]being better at fighting disease, [02:00.48]it has several other advantages over traditional injections. [02:06.72]The patch is painless, does not require cold storage [02:12.16]and can be given by individuals themselves. [02:17.08]The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated [02:21.92]the importance of vaccines as a way to control viruses [02:27.36]in massive populations. [02:30.12]But there are barriers that prevent some populations [02:34.68]from getting the injections. [02:37.04]One of these is the need to keep the vaccines in cold storage. [02:44.28]Another is that it can be difficult for people [02:48.04]in many parts of the world to get to a place [02:51.88]that can administer the shots. [02:54.76]The researchers developing the patch say they hope the method [03:00.72]will one day help solve these issues and increase vaccine access [03:06.92]to millions more people around the world. [03:11.12]And because of how the patch works, [03:14.28]a smaller amount of vaccine can be used. [03:19.28]Shaomin Tian is a researcher [03:22.52]in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology [03:27.28]in the UNC School of Medicine. [03:30.64]She helped lead the study. [03:34.12]She said in a statement that the team was able [03:38.16]to overcome manufacturing difficulties [03:41.88]that have hurt efforts in the past [03:44.68]to create an effective patch vaccine [03:48.52]that uses micro-needles. [03:51.40]Tian said one problem with past methods [03:55.84]was a reduction in needle sharpness [03:59.20]from repeated manufacturing using patch molds. [04:04.00]But the researchers’ new method permitted them [04:08.64]to directly 3D print the patches. [04:12.24]“Which gives us lots of design latitude [04:16.48]for making the best micro-needles from a performance [04:21.00]and cost point-of-view,” Tian said. [04:26.04]The team says it is continuing to work [04:29.96]on developing ways to include current COVID-19 vaccines [04:35.80]- such as those from Pfizer and Moderna [04:39.68]- for use in micro-needle patches for future testing. [04:45.60]The method could be used for other disease vaccines as well. [04:52.28]Other research has been done on the use of vaccine patches. [04:58.32]Last year, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh [05:02.80]announced they had developed a COVID-19 vaccine [05:07.40]that could be delivered into the skin [05:10.60]through a patch of 400 micro-needles. [05:15.36]And in Australia, researchers from the University of Queensland [05:21.08]reported in June they had created a vaccine patch [05:26.32]that demonstrated “extremely clear” results in tests on mice. [05:33.40]The scientists said the patches produced “much stronger [05:38.80]and more protective immune responses against COVID-19” [05:44.84]than traditional vaccine delivery methods. [05:48.96]I’m Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM