Stabilization of vaccines and antibiotics in silk and eliminating the cold chain

J Zhang, E Pritchard, X Hu, T Valentin… - Proceedings of the …, 2012 - National Acad Sciences
J Zhang, E Pritchard, X Hu, T Valentin, B Panilaitis, FG Omenetto, DL Kaplan
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012National Acad Sciences
Sensitive biological compounds, such as vaccines and antibiotics, traditionally require a
time-dependent “cold chain” to maximize therapeutic activity. This flawed process results in
billions of dollars worth of viable drug loss during shipping and storage, and severely limits
distribution to developing nations with limited infrastructure. To address these major
limitations, we demonstrate self-standing silk protein biomaterial matrices capable of
stabilizing labile vaccines and antibiotics, even at temperatures up to 60° C over more than …
Sensitive biological compounds, such as vaccines and antibiotics, traditionally require a time-dependent “cold chain” to maximize therapeutic activity. This flawed process results in billions of dollars worth of viable drug loss during shipping and storage, and severely limits distribution to developing nations with limited infrastructure. To address these major limitations, we demonstrate self-standing silk protein biomaterial matrices capable of stabilizing labile vaccines and antibiotics, even at temperatures up to 60 °C over more than 6 months. Initial insight into the mechanistic basis for these findings is provided. Importantly, these findings suggest a transformative approach to the cold chain to revolutionize the way many labile therapeutic drugs are stored and utilized throughout the world.
National Acad Sciences