Microneedles and Their Application in Transdermal Delivery of Antihypertensive Drugs—A Review

Abstract

One of the most cutting-edge, effective, and least invasive pharmaceutical innovations is the utilization of microneedles (MNs) for drug delivery, patient monitoring, diagnostics, medicine or vaccine delivery, and other medical procedures (e.g., intradermal vaccination, allergy testing, dermatology, and blood sampling). The MN-based system offers many advantages, such as minimal cost, high medical effectiveness, comparatively good safety, and painless drug application. Drug delivery through MNs can possibly be viewed as a viable instrument for various macromolecules (e.g., proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids) that are not efficiently administered through traditional approaches. This review article provides an overview of MN-based research in the transdermal delivery of hypertensive drugs. The critical attributes of microneedles are discussed, including the mechanism of drug release, pharmacokinetics, fabrication techniques, therapeutic applications, and upcoming challenges. Furthermore, the therapeutic perspective and improved bioavailability of hypertensive drugs that are poorly aqueous-soluble are also discussed. This focused review provides an overview of reported studies and the recent progress of MN-based delivery of hypertensive drugs, paving the way for future pharmaceutical uses. As MN-based drug administration bypasses first-pass metabolism and the high variability in drug plasma levels, it has grown significantly more important for systemic therapy. In conclusion, MN-based drug delivery of hypertensive drugs for increasing bioavailability and patient compliance could support a new trend of hypertensive drug delivery and provide an alternative option, overcoming the restrictions of the current dosage forms.

The Use of Essential Oils in the Development of Dermato-Cosmetic Products

“…Among the most representative terpenes are the monoterpenes with a distribution of over 90%, they also have a special structural variety [1]. Terpenes of natural origin are applicable in the cosmetic industry due to their high lipophilicity and low irritating power [2,3].…”

3D Printing of Biodegradable Polymeric Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery Applications

“…Moreover, it also enables the delivery of a wide range of therapeutics into the skin layers with minimally invasive pain [ 10 ]. MNs are generally categorized into solid MNs, coated MNs, hollow MNs, dissolvable MNs, and hydrogel MNs [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Applications of MNs include transdermal drug delivery [ 16 , 17 ], vaccine delivery [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], cosmetic [ 21 , 22 ], disease diagnostics [ 23 ], tissue engineering [ 24 , 25 ], and therapeutic applications.…”

Research Progress of Extracellular Vesicles-Loaded Microneedle Technology

“…MNs can also be integrated with multiple sensors for detecting skin interstitial fluid (ISF), consistently monitoring ion concentrations, glucose, uric acid, insulin, and serotonin, providing a novel approach for disease diagnosis and prognosis monitoring [16][17][18]. Considering factors such as material composition, shape, structure, mechanical strength, and biodegradability, MNs can be Pharmaceutics 2024, 16, 326 2 of 19 custom-designed for various therapeutic applications [19]. For instance, MNs' dressings equipped with multiple drug loads and enhanced mechanical strength not only minimize mechanical damage to non-healing wounds but also significantly expedite the woundhealing process [20].…”