Gaithersburg, MD based Iomai Corp. has just begun testing two types of skin patch vaccines, one to prevent the flu, and the other to prevent travelers’ diarrhea. Tests are being conducted on hundreds of volunteers, with funding and assistance from The National Institutes of Health.
The National Institutes of Health is interested in skin patch research (also called transdermal delivery mechanisms) as skin patch vaccines may replace some existing vaccine technologies, and may be used to provide an extra boost to others when needed (such as in the case of a super-bug or pandemic).
If the skin patch works for one disease, it is believed that it could be adjusted to deliver multiple kinds of vaccines. Iomai has funding from the Department of Defense to help develop a patch to prevent anthrax.
Most of today’s vaccines are injected into the muscle, though getting the vaccine just under the skin would be enough. Recent research using small needles to place flu vaccine just inside the skin found that lower doses of the vaccine were needed for full protection. Smaller doses of vaccine, with no loss in protection, could potentially save millions of dollars in healthcare costs.
The Iomai patches work very simply- the top layer of skin is scuffed away, such as with an emery board, and the patch is pasted to this area for several hours. Specialized (Langerhans) cells recognize the presence of foreign invaders and activate the immune system.
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In early October, 2006, the drug Zolinza was approved by the FDA to treat CTCL (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma), a rare form of skin cancer.
Zolinza is permitted for use if the disease gets worse, persists, or recurs after treatment with other skin cancer medications. CTCL impacts about 3 in 1 million Americans per year, and was thus approved under the FDA’s Orphan Drug Program, which offer companies incentives for treating diseases which affect fewer than 200,000 Americans each year.
Zolinza is manufactured by Pantheon, Inc., for the drug giant Merck & Co.
The drug is not recommended for pregnant women, as animal studies indicate it could cause fetal harm.
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Insomnia strikes more than 58% of adults a few nights or more per week. More than 35% of adults experiences at least one symptom of insomnia every night or almost every night.
Lack of good sleep can have significant impact on your energy level, your mood, your health, and your skin.
When you don’t get enough good quality sleep, you may develop under-eye circles, and your skin will begin to look dull. Over time, your skin may actually begin to break out or age more quickly.
Since so many people suffer from insomnia, here are five tips to help avoid it:
Keep your bedroom clean, free of clutter, and use it only for sleep or sex. This means no TV, no loud radio, and no piles of paper. Visual clutter can keep you feeling stressed and overwhelmed when you should be winding down to sleep.
Exercise earlier in the day. If you exercise in the evening, you may not be able to fall asleep soon after. If at all possible, switch your workouts to the early morning.
Watch your levels of caffeine consumption. Too much caffeine can leave you feeling revved up or agitated.
Turn off the computer and TV at least an hour or more before bed. The bright lights can trick your body into thinking it’s time to wake up when it’s really time to sleep.
Avoid emotional discussions or talking about painful events just before bed. These can release stress hormones which will wake you up rather than calm you down.
Try to keep to a normal sleep routine, even on weekends. But don’t keep laying in bed if you don’t feel sleepy. Get up and read or relax for a while and return to bed only when you think you’ll be able to fall asleep.
There are other tips to help you cope with insomnia, but these should get you started. If your insomnia persists for several nights, it may be time for more intensive stress management and stress reduction techniques.
