Recent advances in combination of microneedles and nanomedicines for lymphatic targeted drug delivery

Abstract

Numerous diseases have been reported to affect the lymphatic system. As such, several strategies have been developed to deliver chemotherapeutics to this specific network of tissues and associated organs. Nanotechnology has been exploited as one of the main approaches to improve the lymphatic uptake of drugs. Different nanoparticle approaches utilized for both active and passive targeting of the lymphatic system are discussed here. Specifically, due to the rich abundance of lymphatic capillaries in the dermis, particular attention is given to this route of administration, as intradermal administration could potentially result in higher lymphatic uptake compared to other routes of administration. Recently, progress in microneedle research has attracted particular attention as an alternative for the use of conventional hypodermic injections. The benefits of microneedles, when compared to intradermal injection, are subsequently highlighted. Importantly, microneedles exhibit particular benefit in relation to therapeutic targeting of the lymphatic system, especially when combined with nanoparticles, which are further discussed. However, despite the apparent benefits provided by this combination approach, further comprehensive preclinical and clinical studies are now necessary to realize the potential extent of this dual‐delivery platform, further taking into consideration eventual usability and acceptability in the intended patient end‐users. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology

Microneedles in Drug Delivery: Progress and Challenges

“…Dissolvable microneedles might be an efficient approach to preserve and stabilise nano-sized compositions while improving nanoparticle penetration through the stratum corneum barrier. Various approaches have been thoroughly studied, and several analytical techniques for tracing and tracking the journey of nanomaterials with their valuable payloads, both in vitro and in vivo, have been developed [78,79].…”

Intranodal delivery of modified docetaxel: Innovative therapeutic method to inhibit tumor cell growth in lymph nodes

“…administration of chemotherapeutic agents is widely used for the treatment of metastatic LN. Most small molecule drugs (<10 nm) have poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, and little tissue selectivity 3 . In addition, drugs leak from blood capillaries into the interstitium and are subsequently absorbed by the lymphatic system and then reabsorbed into the blood vascular system because the lymphatic molecular absorption windows are 10–100 nm 4,5 ; an optimal range is 20–50 nm 6,7 …”

“…Most small molecule drugs (<10 nm) have poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, and little tissue selectivity. 3 In addition,…”

“…6,7 A two-stage approach to maximize drug delivery to the LN was inspired by the trafficking route of particulate antigens. 8 After intradermal injection of approximately 27-nm diameter nanoparticles, they were transported from the interstitial space to downstream LN [2][3][4] and accumulated there. 6,9 Access of drugs to the lymphatic network is dependent on their molecular size 6,8,10,11 ; the LN sinus allows entry of small molecules (3-5 nm in diameter) with molecular weights <70 kDa.…”

Pharmaceutical Approaches on Antimicrobial Resistance: Prospects and Challenges

“…To date, microneedle delivery systems have been widely used to topically deliver antimicrobial agents into an infection area [ 176 , 207 , 208 , 209 , 210 , 211 ]. Permana et al developed dissolving microneedles containing doxycycline nanoparticles.…”