As if soap bubbles don't spread enough happiness on their own, scientists have discovered a way of coating them in biomolecules with a view to treating viruses, cancer and other diseases. The technology has been developed at the University of Maryland, where researchers devised a method of tricking the body into mistaking the bubbles for harmful cells, triggering an immune response and opening up new possibilities in the delivery of drugs and vaccines.
The customized bubbles, which the researchers refer to as "functionalized catanionic surfactant vesicles", are made using a combination of soap-like components that transform into capsules when mixed together. They say that this solution has significant advantages over other vaccine-carrying vehicles on the market as they form more quickly, last much longer and are cheaper to produce.
