Peptide depots and DNA tattoos could deliver drugs in the future

Ars Technica » Scientific Method 2013-01-29

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The revolution in biotechnology has generated a lot of potential therapies that could avoid some of the problems of traditional medicine. Proteins manufactured in bacteria can supplement natural proteins; DNA-based vaccines can make immunity more specific while lasting for months at room temperature.

Most of these, however, haven't always worked out well in the real world. Proteins need to be injected to avoid the digestive system, but are often cleared from the blood quickly enough that repeated injections are needed. DNA vaccines work great, provided you can get the DNA into cells, which has turned out to be a significant technical hurdle.

Two papers, published this week, provide some indications of how researchers are working to get around these hurdles.

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