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As many as 52 people have died due to <keyword id="2341825" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mucormycosis">Mucormycosis</keyword>, a rare but dangerous fungal infection, in Maharashtra since the <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> outbreak last year, a senior health department official said on Friday. All of them were COVID-19 survivors, but succumbed to the <keyword id="10432869" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-fungus">black fungus</keyword> infection, the official said. For the first time, the state health department has compiled a list of deaths caused by black fungus," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. On Wednesday, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope had said there were 1,500 cases of black fungus in the state, which is in the throes of a severe second wave of COVID-19. Early symptoms include greyish-black crusting/pigmentation in the nose or oral cavity that may enlarge and block the nasal cavity. Another symptom could be spores of <keyword id="11255076" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fungus-depositing">fungus depositing</keyword> near the eyes that leads to ocular swelling. Some patients may get lesions over the cheeks. The symptoms usually start revealing themselves a day or two after recovery. Eight patients in Maharashtra have been admitted after they lost vision in one eye. Rising Mucormycosis cases, whose treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach, is expected to put a further burden on the state's healthcare infrastructure which is already under a strain. The fungus thrives in hospitals where there is improper sterilisation of ventilator circuits and oxygen pipes. “Since, in the treatment of severe covid patients who need prolonged oxygen therapy through high-flow oxygen given through nostrils, via a ventilator, Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), non-rebreathing mask (NRM), etc., the risk of getting this opportunistic infection increases,” Dr Vashishtha told Business Insider earlier. The state will float a tender to procure one lakh Amphotericin-B anti-fungal injections to treat Mucormycosis patients, Tope had said a couple of days back. Mucormycosis has a very high fatality rate and this has increased the woes of the health department which has deployed all its resources to combat COVID-19. Mucormycosis was not a notified disease like malaria and hence its cases were not mapped and a database was not prepared, the official said. As per health experts cited by news agency PTI, Mucormycosis is mostly found among COVID-19 patients who have diabetes, fluctuation in sugar level or increased iron level in the blood. Tope has said patients with suppressed immune system and co-morbidities are vulnerable to contract the disease. As part of a contingency plan to treat Mucormycosis patients, the state government has decided to set up separate wards for them at hospitals attached to 18 medical colleges. With inputs from PTI SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/four-reasons-why-cryptocurrency-ethereum-has-been-on-a-bull-run/articleshow/82606761.cms">Four reasons why cryptocurrency Ethereum has been on a bull run</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/elon-musk-realised-that-he-cant-champion-both-renewable-energy-and-bitcoin-at-the-same-time/articleshow/82603087.cms">Elon Musk realised that he can’t champion both renewable energy and Bitcoin at the same time — here’s why</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/the-zenfone-8-is-androids-iphone-12-mini/articleshow/82599750.cms">The Zenfone 8 is Android’s iPhone 12 mini</a>

Covid-related black fungus has claimed 52 lives in Maharashtra so far, according to official  data

<ul><li><keyword id="2341825" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mucormycosis">Mucormycosis</keyword>, also known as <keyword id="10432869" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-fungus">Black Fungus</keyword>, is a <keyword id="10571334" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rare-fungal-infection">rare fungal infection</keyword> primarily contracted in the <keyword id="57843" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Intensive-Care-Unit">Intensive Care Unit</keyword> (ICU) of a hospital and can be pretty fatal — from losing vision to losing your life.</li><li>Early symptoms include greyish-black crusting/pigmentation in the nose or oral cavity that may enlarge and block the nasal cavity.</li><li>“We must educate healthcare workers, paramedics, and ICU technicians to frequently change flow meters’ water and sterilise oxygen tubing. Most importantly, only distilled water must be used, no tap/filter/RO water.” - Dr Vipin M. Vashishtha.</li></ul> Disclaimer: This should not be considered medical advice. Please check with your doctor on medical procedures. While the mortifying effects of the pandemic continue to hold our country to ransom, there is another rather fatal infection lingering in the background that doctors are witnessing in dozens of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> patients, and that is called Mucormycosis. Also known as Black Fungus, this rare fungal infection is primarily contracted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital and can be pretty fatal — from losing vision to losing your life. But this is not a new phenomenon. Dr Vipin M. Vashishtha — former convener, IAP Committee on Immunisation, and paediatrician at Mangla Hospital and Research Centre, <keyword id="67012" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bijnor">Bijnor</keyword>, UP — tells <keyword id="824043" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Business-Insider">Business Insider</keyword> that “Many ICUs where prolonged oxygen is being used with improper sterilisation and where tap water instead of distilled water is used, this and other fungal infections can emerge.” Forty cases of the life-threatening infection have been detected in <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/black-fungus-mucormycosis-detected-covid19-survivors-8-lose-eyesight-surat-fungal-infection-symptoms-1799971-2021-05-07">Surat</a>, Gujarat, of which eight have lost their eyesight. In Delhi’s Sir <keyword id="237993" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ganga-Ram-Hospital">Ganga Ram Hospital</keyword> (SGRH), six <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/health/delhi-hospital-reports-cases-of-covid-triggered-mucormycosis-here-s-all-you-need-to-know-about-it-2360268.html">patients</a> with Mucormycosis have been admitted in the past few days. Sometimes called Zygomycosis, this infection caused by fungi belonging to the order <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3286196/">Mucorales, </a>targets patients whose immunity is low. It is caused by various kinds of fungi that are often found in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000649.htm">decaying</a> organic matter like spoiled bread, fruit, and vegetables, and in this case, the devices that are providing much-required oxygen to patients. And despite aggressive therapy, the overall mortality rate is high. The symptoms usually start revealing themselves a day or two after recovery. Early symptoms include greyish-black crusting/pigmentation in the nose or oral cavity that may enlarge and block the nasal cavity. Another symptom could be spores of fungus depositing near the eyes that leads to ocular swelling. Some patients may get lesions over the cheeks. At a later stage, this fungus can make its way to the brain. It is quite a severe disease, and fatality can go up to 50%. Treatments include antifungal drugs like Amphotericin-B that are given intravenously and other supportive therapy. The fungus thrives in hospitals where there is improper sterilisation of ventilator circuits and oxygen pipes. “Since, in the treatment of severe covid patients who need prolonged oxygen therapy through high-flow oxygen given through nostrils, via a ventilator, Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), non-rebreathing mask (<keyword id="3383136" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="NRM">NRM</keyword>), etc., the risk of getting this opportunistic infection increases,” Dr Vashishtha adds. At a place where our healthcare situation is grim, to say the least, contracting this rare fungal infection that could be avoided is yet another reminder that our healthcare system has entirely collapsed. Dr Vashishtha stresses that “we must educate healthcare workers, paramedics, and ICU technicians to frequently change flow meters’ water and sterilise oxygen tubing. Most importantly, only distilled water must be used, no tap/filter/RO water.” SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/gautam-adani-net-worth-has-crossed-60-billion-as-per-forbes/articleshow/82454659.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Gautam Adani’s net worth has crossed $60 billion – thanks to Adani Ports’ profits</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/good-news-for-tata-steel-jsw-steel-sail-hindalco-and-other-indian-steel-companies/articleshow/82451127.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">China has broken another emissions record ⁠— and it is good news for some Indian companies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-is-now-automatically-turning-on-two-factor-authentication-for-some-accounts/articleshow/82452629.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Google is now automatically turning on two-factor authentication for some accounts</a>

A potentially lethal fungal disease is creeping into recovering Covid-19 patients, and the prognosis is not good

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A rare orchid thought to be extinct in the wild in the UK was found in June atop a bank in <keyword id="6354968" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="london">London</keyword>. </li><li>The Small Flowered Tongue Orchid - Serapis parviflora - had not been seen in the UK since 2009.</li><li>The flowers are typically found in the Mediterranean basin and Atlantic coast of France, Spain, and Portugal, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-57439921">BBC</a> said.</li></ul>Rare orchids that were believed to be extinct in the UK were found growing on the rooftop of a bank in London. According to <keyword id="6354527" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nomura">Nomura</keyword> <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="international">International</keyword>, the 15-strong colony of Small Flowered Tongue Orchid - scientific name Serapis parviflora - was found growing on the 11th-floor rooftop on June 4. The last known colony of these flowers in the UK was found in Cornwall in 1989, Nomura said in the press release, but those flowers were destroyed in 2009.It's not exactly clear how the rare flowers ended up atop the London building."Orchid seeds are incredibly small and can travel great distances by wind," said Nomura ecologist Mark Patterson, who oversees the garden. "The plants could have originated on the Continent and been brought over the Channel on southerly winds which frequently bring Saharan dust deposits to the capital.""Once settled on the Nomura roof, the seeds would have formed a symbiosis with a mycorrhizal fungus enabling them to germinate and grow," he added, saying the odds of such an unlikely event were "astronomical."Patterson also said the seeds could have been present in the soil that was brought to the roof when the garden was first created about a decade ago.The flowers typically found in the Mediterranean basin and Atlantic coast of France, Spain, and Portugal, according to a report from the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-57439921">BBC</a>. The orchids flower for just a few weeks at a time, according to the report.The hot and dry conditions on the London rooftop likely helped the flowers grow because they created a condition more typical of their native habitat, the BBC reported.

A rare orchid thought to be extinct in the UK was found growing on a London bank's rooftop garden

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Colloidal <keyword id="35264" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="silver">silver</keyword> is not safe and too much of it can cause serious side effects like muscle weakness, kidney problems, and neurological damage.</li><li>Taking colloidal silver can also lead to an incurable condition called argyria which turns the skin and gums blue.</li><li>Companies that market colloidal silver as a <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> remedy are not supported by the FDA and some companies have even been issued FDA warnings for their fraudulent claims.</li><li>This article <a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-medical-review-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was medically reviewed</a> by <a href="https://www.acsh.org/profile/alex-berezow-phd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Berezow, PhD</a>, a microbiologist at the American Council on Science and Health. </li></ul>Silver is known for its <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315945/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antibacterial properties</a>, which kill a range of microbes, bacteria, and fungus. Silver damages bacterial cell walls, enters and disrupts bacterial cells, and stops the replication of bacteria by damaging its DNA. "The use of silver as vessels to store food and drink to avoid spoilage was common in ancient civilizations," says Wong Siew Wei, MD, at <a href="https://tcc.sg/our-doctors/dr-wong-siew-wei/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Cancer Centre</a> and <a href="https://smg.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Singapore Medical Group</a>. One of the most common forms of silver is colloidal silver, a water solution containing small particles — ions and nanoparticles — of silver. It was first used in 1891 to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315945/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sterilize wounds</a>.Today, some peddle the metallic ingredient in dietary supplements and beauty products, claiming it can be a miracle cure — despite the fact that there's a serious lack of evidence to support any health benefits of consuming colloidal silver or applying it to your skin. <h2>Colloidal silver is not safe to consume </h2>While the antimicrobial properties of silver are well-studied, the suggested benefits of colloidal silver as a dietary supplement <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/health/colloidalsilver#hed1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have not been scientifically proven</a>."There are currently no FDA-approved prescription or over-the-counter drugs containing colloidal silver that are taken by mouth," says Wong. "In 1999, the FDA warned that oral colloidal silver is neither safe nor effective for treating any disease or condition." In fact, the FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-products" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently issued warnings</a> against seven companies that claimed to sell products that cured or prevented the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>, including colloidal silver. Wong says that companies selling products with colloidal silver that claim to prevent or cure illnesses like coronavirus are a major threat to public health, as they might stop or delay consumers from seeking the appropriate medical treatment.Overall, the <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=310.548" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FDA </a>and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayo Clinic</a>, to name just two, point out the lack of scientific evidence for the oral use of colloidal silver. It's important to note that silver has no nutritional function in the body, and is not an essential part of the human diet. <h2>Colloidal silver can have dangerous side effects </h2>Proponents of consuming colloidal silver claim that it can help <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-boost-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boost the immune system</a>, purify water, and cleanse the gut. Beauty brands suggest the ingredient, when applied topically, is anti-inflammatory and reduces irritation on the skin. And while the evidence is lacking for any of these supposed benefits of colloidal silver, there's been plenty of studies proving the harmful effects of the substance. "The silver in colloidal silver products gets deposited into organs such as the skin, liver, spleen, kidney, muscle, and brain," says Wong. "This can lead to argyria, a condition characterized by irreversible bluish looking skin that first appears in the gums." Wong says that this blue tinge may have led to the rise of the term 'blue blood' as a descriptor for the aristocracy, as the use of silver was widespread among wealthier families in ancient times. One of the most notable recent instances of argyria is <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/does-colloidal-silver-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Karason</a>, the 'blue man' who appeared on<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58YRgdrljM" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2008</a> after drinking extreme amounts of colloidal silver.A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861249/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2009 case report</a> on argyria noted the increasing use of colloidal silver in alternative and homeopathic remedies and warned against its use. It's important to always know what you're taking, whether it's a natural supplement or not, and make sure to run everything past a licensed doctor or medical practitioner first. As if turning blue wasn't a risky enough side effect, colloidal silver can cause problems for those taking certain medications. "Colloidal silver interferes with drug absorption," says Wong, which is how effectively medication enters the bloodstream. "For example, the absorption of antibiotics from the quinolones and tetracyclines families are decreased with concomitant colloidal silver use." <a href="https://www.drugs.com/drug-class/quinolones.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinolone antibiotics</a> include ciprofloxacin, a common treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and respiratory infections, while <a href="https://www.drugs.com/drug-class/tetracyclines.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tetracycline antibiotics</a> are commonly used to treat malaria. Colloidal silver has also been shown to reduce the absorption of thyroxine, a medication used to treat thyroid deficiency. According to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayo Clinic</a>, excessive consumption of silver has been linked to kidney damage and neurological issues, such as having seizures. Another <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5625662/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2017 case study</a> also noted instances of muscle weakness and that some cases of argyria result in myopathy, a disease of muscle tissues.<h2>The bottom line: Don't apply or consume colloidal silver </h2>Wong, along with NCCIH, says that using silver topically on the skin is fine in medical situations, such as for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315945/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bandages and dressings</a> when treating infections, burns, or wounds on the skin. Outside the body, the amount of silver you might come into contact with through jewelry or household objects is perfectly safe. But applying colloidal silver to your skin has no proven health benefits, and many known harmful side effects. And don't consume colloidal silver. There's absolutely no evidence that ingesting it prevents disease or helps the <keyword id="31457" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="immune-system">immune system</keyword> in any way. If you're looking to prevent disease, it's better to stick with tried-and-tested methods: wash your hands, and avoid social contact. <h1>Related stories about staying germ-free:</h1><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-do-viruses-spread" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How do viruses spread and how to protect yourself against infection</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/does-copper-kill-germs-and-viruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Does copper kill germs? Yes, it's effective against COVID-19 within 4 hours</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-temperature-kills-germs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What temperature kills germs? How to use heat properly to get rid of bacteria and viruses</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-boost-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to boost your immune system through diet and lifestyle changes</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/does-uv-light-kill-germs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Does UV light kill germs? Getting an at-home sanitizer may be worth it</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/does-alcohol-kill-germs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Does alcohol kill germs? Yes, as long as the solution is strong enough</a></li></ul>

Colloidal silver is not safe to consume or apply to your skin

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div>Peter DemuthMicroneedles, coated in <keyword id="25384" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="DNA">DNA</keyword>, could deliver a quick and painless <keyword id="24209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword>. </div>An innovative new way to deliver vaccines could drastically improve the <keyword id="6354750" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> of the third world, and even the first world, by making vaccines cheaper and easier to distribute and use. The "vaccine patch" would be as easy to apply as a Band-Aid, and would be stable for weeks at room temperature.
"You could potentially get a vaccine patch over the counter from your pharmacist, go home, and wear it for a couple minutes, then pull it off, and that's your vaccine," <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-demuth/5b/282/134">researcher Peter DeMuth</a> told Business Insider.
The patch differs from the nicotine and birth control patches currently in use. It uses tiny "microneedles" coated in DNA, which is deposited into the very outer layer of the skin. The needles are so small they are painless, they don't pierce down to the level of blood vessels so there's no bleeding, and no risk of infection.
"What we've shown in the paper is that we can make these coatings in the right way we can apply the microneedle to the skin of the patient, for only 10 to 15 minutes, and then remove the needles and those coatings will be deposited into the skin," DeMuth said.
Acquiring <keyword id="48619" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Immunity">immunity</keyword>
Multiple groups are working to design these microneedle vaccination patches. The most recent work was published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/vaop/ncurrent/nmat3550/metrics/blogs">Jan. 27 in Nature Materials</a>, and came from DeMuth, a graduate student at M.I.T in the lab of Darrell Irvine.
DNA vaccines work by inserting strands of DNA, the molecule that holds the instructions that keep our bodies working, into the body's cells. The DNA holds the code for a protein — a protein from a <keyword id="10860" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Virus">virus</keyword> or <keyword id="6376020" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bacteria">bacteria</keyword>, for example — which the body senses is foreign. 
"We just deliver the DNA and allow the cells of your body, the patient's body, to produce those for us," DeMuth said.<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:620px"><div class="image"></div><a href="http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/vaop/ncurrent/nmat3550/metrics/blogs">DeMuth, et. al, Nat. Met., 2013</a>The tiny needles are coated with vaccine, which they deposit into the outer layers of the skin.</div>
The body mounts an immune defense to this foreign protein, and this response is what protects us from that disease when it tries to invade us and sicken us — the immune system recognizes the foreign protein and is able to vanquish the invading virus or bacteria before it gets a foothold in the body.
Though they worked in small animals in the lab, previous attempts to make DNA vaccines failed when they reached monkey trials, but those vaccines were injected into the muscles, which isn't the ideal place to mount an immune defense. In theory DNA vaccines worked, but it seemed as if the idea had hit an impasse.
A new approach
To make DNA vaccines work, researchers had to go back to the drawing board and think up new ways to administer the DNA.
"DNA vaccines could make a big difference in the way we immunize people, but we are still kind of stuck at this place where it's difficult to get human cells to take up DNA and express it as proteins in the same ways that small animal models do, " DeMuth said.
<div class="image-container float_left" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div>Peter DemuthMicroneedles half a millimeter tall.</div>For the study, they tested a new way of applying vaccine — coating microneedles in DNA and having them pierce the outer layer of the skin, depositing the DNA package inside. They made these microneedles, which are half a millimeter long, into patches and checked out how effective they were in mice and monkeys.
The needles can be coated in different layers which would change the way the vaccine is released into the skin — faster or slower, or even in a certain sequence.
They tested mice and monkeys with a centimeter-wide circle of microneedles, applied directly to the skin. The skin is where our body is fighting off infections every day, so it's full of disease fighting white blood cells that are primed to react to these foreign proteins. They saw this skin-based application really worked to improve the body's reaction to the DNA vaccination.
For the test, the needles were coated with the DNA that encodes a glowing protein from fireflies. If the DNA got into the animal's cells and was expressed, then the skin should glow, which it did.
<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div><a href="http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/vaop/ncurrent/nmat3550/metrics/blogs">DeMuth, et. al, Nat. Met., 2013</a>The needles puncture the skin, depositing the vaccine.</div>Then they had to check to see if the cells were making proteins that got into the blood and activated the immune system, which they checked using a protein from the monkey version of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. They then checked the animal's blood for evidence that it had reacted to the proteins, recognizing them as foreign, which they had.
"The good news is that all the studies up to now, in mice and in primates, have looked very promising, so the next step would be to verify this more robustly in primates," DeMuth said.
There's still a lot of work left to do to get the patch working in humans and through clinical trials, but when approved, the patch vaccine will have plenty of advantages.
A major improvement
First, DNA is easier to make in large quantities than proteins are. 
Secondly, once created, the patches don't need to be refrigerated — they survive just fine for weeks on end at room temperature. This makes them easier and cheaper to transport and administer, especially in third-world countries where refrigeration is expensive and needles are incredibly dangerous.
"DNA has the advantage that it could be potentially more stable for transportation for distribution throughout the world as a vaccine," DeMuth said. That would drastically diminish the costs of immunizing against disease in third-world countries.
"Those are the places you want vaccines to go and we need to find a way to eliminate that necessity for refrigeration if we are going to vaccinate those people who are most at risk," DeMuth said.
<table class="image-container float_left" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dm-set/3846819118/sizes/l/in/photostream/">Sarah D / flickr</a></td></tr></table>Third, the patches would remove the need for needles for application of vaccines. Needles spread disease because they are reused, are expensive, and require training to use. Needle puncture wounds can also get infected. Because the patch doesn't breach the outer layers of the skin, it never reaches the blood vessels and would be much less likely to become infected.
Also, using a DNA vaccine is much safer than vaccinating with a dead or mutated virus, as most traditional vaccines do. These could contain small amounts of live or healthy virus or bacteria that could cause infections.
"For example, HIV is a virus, and the risk is if you would give that virus to a patient in a vaccine form, even if it is weakened, there is still the potential that you could actually cause infection as opposed to just eliciting the immunity you are looking for," DeMuth told us.
Flexible technology
Another great thing about DNA vaccines? They can be made for almost any thing, including many of the diseases we already have vaccines for.
DNA can be made that can create any protein — be it part of a virus, a bacteria, fungus, or even tumor cells. Just about any current vaccine could be changed into a DNA patch vaccine.
"Every vaccine, for the most part, is centered around proteins and every protein can be generated from a piece of DNA," DeMuth said. "DNA is a starting place for everything that we would want to immunize against."
The patch technology isn't just for viruses and bacteria though, several researchers are also developing "vaccines" for things like <keyword id="6355291" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cancer">cancer</keyword>. These would train the body to recognize tumor cells by the kinds of proteins they made (some of which are different from the proteins in our normal body cells).
"You can even develop a DNA vaccine that encoded a piece of protein that distinguishes tumor cells from self or healthy cells, and you could use that to immunize against cancer," DeMuth said.
As the technology improves, we should start seeing microneedle patch vaccines in human trials in about a decade.

You Searched For "fungus depositing" and got 5 results

Covid-related black fungus has claimed 52 lives in Maharashtra so far, according to official data

BI India Bureau

A potentially lethal fungal disease is creeping into recovering Covid-19 patients, and the prognosis is not good

Kavita Majumdar

A rare orchid thought to be extinct in the UK was found growing on a London bank's rooftop garden

Connor Perrett

Colloidal silver is not safe to consume or apply to your skin

Rebecca Cairns

Preventing Diseases May Soon Be As Simple As Applying A Band-Aid

Jennifer Welsh

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