A thin strip that dissolves in the mouth like a popular breath-freshener could someday provide life-saving rotavirus vaccine to infants in impoverished areas. The innovative drug-delivery system was developed by Johns Hopkins undergraduate biomedical engineering students.During a two-semester course, the seven-student team fabricated a thin film that should melt quickly in a baby’s mouth, prompting the child to swallow the vaccine. The dissolved medication is coated with a material to protect it in the child’s stomach. This coating is also designed to release the vaccine in the small intestine, where it should trigger an immune response to prevent a rotavirus infection.>>> Discuss This Story
