The COVID-19 pandemic marked the beginning of modern vaccine technology innovation. However, various challenges emerged during its implementation, including reliance on medical personnel and the public’s fear of needles. Moreover, conventional vaccines raise environmental concerns due to the large amounts of plastic waste they generate. These conditions have driven innovation to create vaccination methods that are easier, safer, and more efficient.
Responding to these concerns, a team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), participating in the Student Creativity Program for Exact Sciences Research (PKM-RE), named Dermavant, developed a vaccine adjuvant innovation utilizing natural ingredients derived from Sacha Inchi oil and chitosan, formulated into a transdermal patch with a double-emulsion system.
The team consists of Alif Afzalurrohman (Biology 2024), Sekar Ayu (Pharmacy 2022), Zahwa Khoirun Nisa (Biology 2022), Alvian Chesyar (Pharmacy 2022), and Basofi Muzaky (Pharmacy 2024), under the supervision of Dr. Adhyatmika, lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy.
The research developed a water-in-oil-in-water nanoemulsion system designed to carry active vaccine ingredients that can effectively penetrate the skin layers.
Nanoemulsion technology is considered more stable and suitable for skin applications.
“We developed a water-in-oil-in-water nanoemulsion phase because it offers greater stability and allows the target substances to penetrate the skin more easily,” explained Alif Afzalurrohman, the team leader, on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
The transdermal patch developed by the Dermavant team offers several advantages: it is non-invasive, easy to use without medical assistance, and painless.
Afzalurrohman explained that using natural ingredients such as Sacha Inchi oil and chitosan, which are rich in omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids, helps reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system.
Meanwhile, chitosan, derived from shrimp and crab shells, serves as a natural immunostimulator that enhances the absorption of active ingredients through the skin.
Afzalurrohman further explained that the research process took considerable time, from formulation optimization to material stability testing.
He stated that the formulation of natural ingredients from Sacha Inchi oil and chitosan had never before been used in vaccine adjuvants.
This motivated the team to conduct a series of experiments to achieve effective and stable results.
Testing was carried out in mouse models, with TNF-α levels observed as one indicator of the immune response to the vaccine.
The results showed an increase in the immune system in the group that received the patch treatment.
“So far, based on the TNF-α parameters, the mice given the patch showed higher immune activity compared to the untreated group,” he said.
By using natural ingredients to develop transdermal patches, the Dermavant team hopes this innovation will be a breakthrough in non-invasive vaccine alternatives.
The use of natural materials such as Sacha Inchi oil and chitosan not only enhances vaccine effectiveness but also supports research independence and the sustainability of future health innovations.
“What we have developed using natural ingredients could become a breakthrough in the world of vaccines, both nationally and globally,” Afzalurrohman concluded.
Author: Cyntia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographs: Dermavant