Vaccine through tattooing

The researchers have revealed the fact that in tests undertaken with mice, tattoos were much more valuable in aggravating a reaction from the immune system. Tattoos could be a beneficial way of delivering therapeutic vaccines in humans, including for some cancers. These vaccines have been futile in producing effective response from the immune system when delivered through injection. Tattooing became more widely available with the invention of the electric tattoo machine in the United States. The same basic instrument is still in use to create tattoos today. It has been found that rapidly vibrating tattoo needle could be a valuable way of delivering vaccines under the skin instead of insoluble ink. In studies with mice, tattooing a vaccine produced 16 times more antibodies than a simple injection into muscle tissue. The level of antibodies indicates the strength of the immune system's response. Dr Martin Mueller, one of the researchers behind this work, says that the greater damage to the body caused by the tattoo needle may explain the better immune response. The scientists say that the tattoo needles would never be suitable for preventative vaccines, such as measles, in children as the pain would be too great. But there may well be a role for the technique in the routine vaccination of animals.