Friday, August 15, 2008

A 'Nanovaccine' for Hepatitis B

A needle-free nasal immunization, using a combination of nanoemulsion and hepatitis B antigen, could be a safe and effective hepatitis B vaccine, and also provide an alternative booster method for existing vaccines according to Dr. James Baker Jr., The first human trial can begin within a year. The study is reported in the online journal PLoS One.

University of Michigan researchers said the new nanoemulsion eliminates three major problems associated with current vaccines -- the need for refrigeration, difficulty in maintaining needle and syringe sterility and the need for people to return for the three-shot regimen.

Although there are three effective vaccines available, hepatitis B infects 400 million people worldwide, many of them children in Africa, Asia and South America.

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