Rutgers researchers studying COVID-19 have created a new way to deliver DNA molecules into skin cells, using a suction technique similar to the ancient healing practice of cupping that increases blood circulation and promotes healing. The study appears in the journal Science Advances. In laboratory tests with rodents, the team used the suction method to deliver a SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine, which generated a strong immune response – about 100 times stronger than an injected vaccine alone. Based on the results, the study’s funder, biopharmaceutical company GeneOne Life Science, Inc., has licensed the technology for human clinical trials of a COVID vaccine. A human clinical trial has advanced to Phase II based on the high level of the technology’s safety and immunogenicity. To read the full story.