Advances of Microneedle Patch in Diabetic Wound Healing

Abstract

Wound healing is an intricate and orderly process of events that occur in response to external trauma, resulting in tissue repair and reconstruction. This process typically involves three phases, including inflammation, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling, and any disruption to this process may delay the healing of the wound. Chronic wounds associated with diabetes, in particular, are notorious because they are difficult to handle in a timely and orderly manner. During the treatment of the disease, drugs usually accumulate in the stratum corneum due to the skin barrier, leading to a reduction of the drug's bioavailability. Encouragingly, among the treatment strategies, microneedles (MNs) represent a novel and painless drug delivery method that promotes wound healing in diabetic patients by enabling the drug to reach the dermal layer efficiently. In this review, recent advances of MNs in the treatment of diabetic wound healing are summarized by categorizing the designs and strategies. We finally provide an outlook on the prospects and challenges of MN-based therapies for diabetic wound healing in the future.