Vaccination has produced a great improvement to the global health by decreasing/eradicating many infectious diseases responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Thanks to vaccines, many infections affecting childhood have been greatly decreased or even eradicated (smallpox, measles, and polio). That is why great efforts are made to achieve mass vaccination against COVID-19. However, developed vaccines face many challenges with regard to their safety and stability. Moreover, needle phobia could prevent a significant proportion of the population from receiving vaccines. In this context, microneedles (MNs) could potentially present a solution to address these challenges. MNs represent single dose administration systems that do not need reconstitution or cold-chain storage. Being self-administered, pain-free, and capable of producing superior immunogenicity makes them a more attractive alternative. This review explores microneedles’ types, safety, and efficacy in vaccine delivery. Preclinical and clinical studies for microneedle-based vaccines are discussed and patent examples are included. Graphical abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1208/s12249-022-02250-8.

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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged in China in December 2019. In March 2020, the WHO declared it as a pandemic leading to worldwide lockdowns and travel restrictions. By May, it infected 4,789,205 and killed 318,789. This led to severe shortages in the medical sector besides devastating socio-economic effects. Many technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), microfluidics, 3D printing and 3D scanning can step in to contain the virus and hinder its extensive spread. This article aims to explore the potentials of 3D printing and microfluidic in accelerating the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease and fulfilling the shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment. It highlights the main applications of 3D printers and microfluidics in providing PPE (masks, respirators, face shields, goggles, isolation chambers/hoods), supportive care (respiratory equipment) and diagnostic supplies (sampling swabs & lab-on-chip) to ease the COVID-19 pressures. Also, the cost of such technology and regulations considerations are addressed. We conclude that 3D-printing provided reusable and low cost solutions to mitigate the shortages. However, safety, sterility and compatibility with environmental protection standards need to be guaranteed through standardization and assessment by regulatory bodies. Finally, lessons learned from this pandemic can also help the world prepare for upcoming outbreaks

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) represent a class of enzymes that act mainly on cAMP and cGMP. The value of these enzymes has been known for long time. Molecules that target PDEs have been used in various therapeutic applications. This review aims to explore the potential uses of PDE inhibitors (PDEIs) as therapeutic agents to treat conditions that extend beyond erectile dysfunction (ED), as well as highlight novel delivery methods for PDEIs. Keywords: Phosphodiesterase inhibitors; Alzheimer’s disease; Cognition; Psoriasis; Sildenafil