SBIR Phase I: Pulsed Electric Field Mediated Intradermal Vaccine Delivery (COVID-19)

The broader impact / commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of more efficient delivery techniques for specific vaccines. The proposed technology increases the efficiency of DNA vaccine delivery while improving patient safety and reducing unwanted cell death. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will address the need for innovative technologies for administering DNA vaccines. Among the vaccines in development, DNA vaccines are particularly promising as they have the potential to induce positive humoral and cellular immune responses, avoid anti-vector immunity challenges, are easily scaled for production, and are stable at room temperature; However, these vaccines require an additional assist to transport the large DNA molecules into target cells. The proposed research will demonstrate the feasibility of a new approach to vaccine delivery which utilizes ultrashort electrical pulses to safely and effectively enhance DNA vaccine delivery in clinically relevant volumes of sub-dermal tissue. The scope of the proposed research includes designing a new pulse generation topology based around cutting edge transistors and evaluating previously unachievable waveforms in an in vitro skin model. Data from these experiments will then be used in computational multiphysics simulations to optimize the design of clinical applicators. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.