A transdermal drug delivery system based on dissolving microneedles for boron neutron capture therapy of melanoma

Abstract

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a promising therapy for malignant tumors that requires selective and high concentrations of ¹⁰B accumulation in tumor cells. Despite ongoing developments in novel boron agents and delivery carriers, the progress and clinical application of BNCT is still restricted by the low ¹⁰B accumulation and tumor-to-normal tissue (T/N) ratio. Herein, a dissolving microneedle-based transdermal drug delivery system was specifically designed for BNCT in a mouse model of melanoma. By incorporating fructose-BPA (F-BPA) into PVA microneedle tips, this system successfully delivered sufficient F-BPA into the melanoma site after the application of only two patches. Notably, the T/N ratio achieved through the treatment combining PVA/F-BPA MNs with BNCT (PVA/F-BPA MNs-BNCT) surpassed 93.16, signifying a great improvement. Furthermore, this treatment approach effectively inhibited tumor growth and significantly enhanced the survival rate of the mice. In brief, our study introduces a novel, simple, and efficient administration strategy for BNCT, opening new possibilities for the design of nanomedicine for BNCT.