Themed collection Microneedles

The Guest Editors for this Journal of Materials Chemistry B and Biomaterials Science cross-journal themed collection on microneedles introduce the collection and discuss some of the featured work.

The Guest Editors for this Journal of Materials Chemistry B and Biomaterials Science cross-journal themed collection on microneedles introduce the collection and discuss some of the featured work.

Cells, exosomes, and nucleic acids play crucial roles in biomedical engineering, holding substantial clinical potential.

Microneedles, with the advantages of oral administration and local injection, have become a novel strategy for administration and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. We emphasized the progress and broad applications of MN-based transdermal drug delivery for MSK systems.

Microneedles are designed to mediate biofluid extraction and achieve transdermal biosensing and diagnosis.

Glucose-sensitive microneedle system (GSMS) as a smart strategy to treat diabetes can regulate insulin release according to the blood glucose concentration.

Different types of Microneedles (MNs) used in drug, vitamin, protein and vaccine delivery.

Wound management is a serious concern worldwide, inflicting a huge social and economic burden on patients and healthcare systems, and research into efficient wound-management measures is crucial.

Diagram of the Smart Wound Management Microneedle Patch. Smart microneedle patches combine treatment and monitoring for real-time diagnosis.

In this review, we have summarised and reviewed the current matrix materials used for the preparation of MNs in light of the five aspects. In addition, we conclude with a summary of the MN products used on the market and their applications.

The use of egg microneedles (EMN) is a promising transdermal vaccine delivery technique, effectively preserving the vaccine's activity during its dissolution and delivery directly into the skin upon administration.

Multiple periodic injections of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) are the standard treatment of hyperhidrosis which causes excessive sweating.

WIV incorporated dMNAs produced by the dispensing method reduced antigen waste by 95% compared to the centrifugation method. They also maintained the stability of WIV and elicited similar immune responses to intramuscularly (I.M.) delivered WIV.

Naltrexone (NTX) can be transdermally delivered using microneedles (MN) to treat opioid and alcohol misuse disorders, but delivery is blunted by rapid in vivo micropore closure.

Microneedles coated with a gold-nanoparticle based broadly protective influenza vaccine stimulates protective immunity in mice.

A personalized biphasic microneedle patch with variable treatment regimens and an invisible drug delivery capability.

CS–MoS₂ nanocomplexes were introduced into microneedle patches for the first time. The prepared carbohydrate-based patches have the potential effect of promoting wound healing.

A microneedle patch has been developed to bridge the gap between H₂O₂ self-supplying chemodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy, resulting in enhanced therapy of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Co-delivery of curcumin (CUR) and gallic acid (GA) using the double-layered PLGA/HA microneedles can exhibit synergistic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects for rapid and long-lasting relief of atopic dermatitis symptoms in Nc/Nga mice.

The development of a straightforward, economical, portable, and highly sensitive sensing platform for the rapid detection of cholesterol is desirable for the early diagnosis of several pathologic conditions.

DMN patches loaded with AA and Res: fabricated from biodegradable polymer blends in order to inhibit melanin production.

A core–shell MN platform with controllable CO photoproduction was fabricated. Effervescent design enabled efficient CO generation and enhanced drug permeation. The CO-sensitized chemotherapeutic MNs had great curative efficiency for melanoma.

Electrochemically active microneedles are formed from plastic coated with PEDOT. A pair of these form a skin sampler and evaluated in the hydrated excised skin. This provides additional information on the interstitial fluid extracted from the skin.

ZnO NPs had good dispersion in the employed IL, which made the ZnO NPs and the IL exhibit a synergistic antibacterial effect. The DMNs prepared using the ZnO NPs/IL dispersion as an antibacterial agent exhibited a good antibacterial effect.

The microneedle-extraction system integrated with patterned electrodes can provide convenient, mininally invasive detection of bio-analytes, including glucose, pH and H₂O₂.

PILMN-NO with persistent NO transdermal delivery properties and fungicidal activity was construced, which showed anti-inflammatory, collagen deposition, angiogenesis and wound healing promoting activities in vivo subcutaneous fungal infection.

Multi-effective treatment of diabetic chronic wounds has been achieved with a single multifunctional degradable and removable zwitterionic microneedle dressing.

Scheme of the study of drug release and diffusion behavior of a therapeutic microneedle (T-MN) via a SERS detection microneedle (D-MN) in dermal interstitial fluid (ISF).

Polymer microneedle patches for transdermal delivery of anti-hyperuricemia drugs (Allopurinol, AP) have been developed for regulating serum uric acid levels, reducing adverse reactions and improving the bioavailability of AP.

A tough and ultra-swellable microneedle was fabricated using in situ photopolymerization. Colchicine release was triggered by diffusion when microneedles were used on MSU-induced acute gout rats, resulting in decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines.

A double-layer microneedle patch DMN@TCH/DFO was prepared and released TCH and DFO to accelerate wound healing through antibacterial and angiogenesis-promoting processes, and provides a new choice for diabetic wound repair.

A personalized, dissolving microneedle patch is developed for an intradermal delivery of an angiotensin II receptor blocker to treat a hypertrophic scar.

A miRNA transdermal delivery device for alopecia therapy that combines the use of hyaluronic acid (HA)-based dissolving MN to enhance corneum permeability with lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPNs) to protect miR-218 from degradation.

Furosemide-loaded microneedles, comprising PLGA needle tips and a flexible base, were fabricated and characterized in vitro and ex vivo. The microneedles exhibited an initial burst release followed by sustained release of furosemide.

Scalable, bottom-up fabrication of rational bi-level-tip, tapered hollow microneedle array with carbon nanotube microstructures enabled efficient liquid delivery and required less force for skin penetration.

Microneedle Patch with porous spongy coating could achieve the synergistic administration of SAHA and CBP for treatment of multidrug-resistant melanoma.

Colchicine-Soluplus® was loaded into dissolving microarray patches for a new minimally-invasive alternative strategy for management of acute gout.