JP2005334594A - Medication patch with carbon nanotube protrusion - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem wherein a method of applying prophylatic vaccine of infectious disease, cancer peptide for cancer treatment, or the like to a therapeutic member with micro projecting needles of about 10-100 μm in height arranged in plane shape and pressing it to the skin for percolation of medicine is used as immunotherapy by percutaneous transport of vaccine or the like, but medicine applied to a needle surface does not percolate the body well because of being taken off by the skin under the influence of frictional contact between the skin and the needle in a process of inserting the needle into the skin. <P>SOLUTION: A carbon nanotube of hollow structure is used as the micro protrusion-like needle 2 of about 10-100 μm in height. The medicine on the surface is not therefore taken off by the skin in the process of inserting the needle into the skin. Further, in combination with a method of stripping a corneal layer prior to pressing the therapeutic member to the skin, uniform percolation of medicine can always be performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to immunotherapy for treating infections, cancers, allergies and the like that do not cause pain to patients by transdermal transport of drugs such as vaccines.

Conventionally, as an immunotherapy for treating infections, cancer, allergies, etc. that does not cause pain to the patient by transdermal transport of vaccines, etc., vaccines for preventing infections, cancer peptides for cancer treatment, etc. are 10 μm. A transdermal transport method such as a vaccine is performed in which a large number of protrusion-like needles having a uniform length of about 100 μm are arranged in a plane, a drug is applied onto an administration patch, and pressed against the skin.

With this method, the needle is so small that the needle does not reach the blood vessels and nerves, does not hurt the patient, does not bleed, and is the position of a doctor who actually performs treatment. If this is the case, it is also expected to have the effect of preventing erroneous needle-pointing troubles.

Thus, there are various excellent aspects of immunotherapy for transdermal delivery of vaccines, etc., but currently developed protein peptides, DNA, plasmid DNA, viral DNA, RNA for infectious disease prevention and cancer treatment In a drug administration patch for coating liposomes containing these or the like (hereinafter referred to as vaccine material), the minute protruding needle used is not a hollow structure like an injection needle. The vaccine material is pressed against the skin in the state of being applied to the surface of a fine protruding needle, and in the process of inserting the needle into the skin, the drug applied to the needle surface is contacted between the skin and the needle. There is a problem that it is peeled off by the skin under the influence of frictional contact and does not penetrate well into the body.

In addition, there is a stratum corneum as a skin barrier on the surface of the skin, and the state of the stratum corneum varies in thickness and firmness depending on the person. The difference in the thickness of the stratum corneum also affects the unevenness, which means that even when the drug administration patch is pressed against the skin for transdermal transport, the needle is not inserted uniformly, and the vaccine material always penetrates evenly. There is a problem that it is not.

In the present invention, in order to solve such problems, a carbon nanotube is used as a needle in a drug administration patch having needle-like protrusions for transdermally transporting a vaccine material for infection or allergy prevention or cancer treatment. It is used and arranged.

In addition, it is possible to make the skin surface uniform and stable by peeling the stratum corneum of the skin using an adhesive or the like before pressing the drug administration patch against the skin. By pressing the drug administration patch against the skin after being in a clean state, the needle can be more easily inserted, and the vaccine material can be more evenly penetrated.

In this drug administration patch, by using carbon nanotubes as the needle material arranged in a plane, when vaccine material is applied on the surface, it becomes possible to hold the vaccine material in the cavity inside the carbon nanotube, When the drug administration patch is pressed against the skin and the needle is inserted, the vaccine material can be sufficiently penetrated without being peeled off from the skin.

Alternatively, when the vaccine material is applied to the back side of the drug administration patch having the carbon nanotube protrusions of the present invention and pressed against the skin, the vaccine material flows in a minute amount in the cavity of the carbon nanotube, and the skin It is possible to penetrate inside.

In addition, it is possible to make the skin surface uniform and stable by peeling the stratum corneum of the skin using an adhesive or the like before pressing the drug administration patch against the skin. By pressing the drug administration patch against the skin after it is in a clean state, needle insertion becomes easier and a more even penetration of the vaccine material is always possible.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the shape of a conventional drug administration patch in which fine projection needles are arranged on a plane. As can be seen from the figure, the minute protruding needle 1 is characterized by not having a cavity. The height of the needle is about 10 μm to 100 μm, and considering the case where the drug administration patch is pressed against the skin, the site to be treated is limited to the arm or back, and the epidermis is dead at that site Since it has enough height to penetrate the stratum corneum 3 in FIG. 3 and the needle reaches only the epidermis 4 and does not damage the dermis 5 where blood vessels and nerves exist, it can be treated without causing bleeding or pain. It can be carried out. However, since there is no cavity in the needle, the drug applied to the needle surface is peeled off by the skin and the needle due to the frictional contact between the needle and the body. There is a problem that it does not penetrate well.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 shows the shape of a drug administration patch in which minute protruding needles composed of the carbon nanotubes of the present invention are arranged. As can be seen from the figure, the minute protruding needle 2 has a hollow structure like an injection needle. The height of the needle is about 10 μm to 100 μm. The tube has an inner diameter of about 10 nm to several hundred nm in accordance with the vaccine material to be used. In this way, when the vaccine material is applied to the surface due to the hollow structure, it becomes possible to hold the vaccine material in the cavity inside the carbon nanotube, pressing the drug administration patch against the skin, and inserting the needle The vaccine material can be sufficiently permeated without peeling off the vaccine material on the skin.

Alternatively, when the vaccine material is applied to the back side of the drug administration patch and pressed against the skin, the vaccine material can flow through the carbon nanotube cavities in small amounts and penetrate into the skin. Become.

FIG. 3 shows a normal skin surface state. Usually, the skin has a stratum corneum 3 as a skin barrier, and the state of the stratum corneum 3 varies in thickness and hardness depending on the person. Also, there is a difference in thickness even on the same skin, The difference in the thickness of the stratum corneum also affects the unevenness, which means that even when the drug administration patch is pressed against the skin for transdermal transport, the needle is not inserted uniformly, and the vaccine material always penetrates evenly. Will lead to problems that are not.

However, as shown in FIG. 4, if the stratum corneum 3 is peeled off with an adhesive material or the like before the drug administration patch coated with the drug is pressed against the skin, the skin surface becomes a uniform and stable state. By making the skin surface in such a state and then pressing the drug administration patch against the skin, it becomes possible to always allow the drug to penetrate more evenly. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the drug administration patch 7 to which the vaccine material 6 is applied is pressed in a state where the stratum corneum has been peeled.

Drug administration patch diagram with conventional micro-projections Drug administration patch diagram having carbon nanotube protrusions of the present invention Surface state diagram of the skin without peeling off the stratum corneum Surface condition diagram of skin with exfoliated stratum corneum State diagram of the drug administration patch pressed against the skin with the stratum corneum peel

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Micro projection needle 2 without a cavity 2 ... Micro projection needle 3 comprised of carbon nanotubes ... Square layer 4 ... Skin 5 ... Dermis 6 ... Vaccine material 7 ... Drug administration patch

Claims (2)

Infection that does not cause pain to the patient by transdermal transport of drugs such as vaccines (meaning that the drug is injected into the epidermis of the skin, which means that the drug is transported into the body, hereinafter referred to as transdermal transport) In immunotherapy to treat infectious diseases, cancer, allergies, etc., treatment with vaccines for preventing infectious diseases, cancer peptides for cancer treatment, etc., with microscopic protrusions of 10 μm to 100 μm arranged in a plane A drug administration patch having a carbon nanotube projection characterized in that a carbon nanotube is used as a microprojection needle, although a transdermal transport method such as a vaccine is performed by applying it on a member and pressing it against the skin . 2. The drug administration patch having carbon nanotube protrusions according to claim 1, wherein the drug is applied by transdermal transport before the application patch coated with the drug is pressed against the skin using an adhesive or the like. A drug administration patch, wherein the layer is peeled off, the skin surface is always kept in a uniform and stable state, and the administration patch is pressed against the skin to transdermally deliver the drug.

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