Recent advances of microneedles for biomedical applications: drug delivery and beyond

Abstract

The microneedle (MN), a highly efficient and versatile device, has attracted extensive scientific and industrial interests in the past decades due to prominent properties including painless penetration, low cost, excellent therapeutic efficacy, and relative safety. The robust microneedle enabling transdermal delivery has a paramount potential to create advanced functional devices with superior nature for biomedical applications. In this review, a great effort has been made to summarize the advance of microneedles including their materials and latest fabrication method, such as three-dimensional printing (3DP). Importantly, a variety of representative biomedical applications of microneedles such as disease treatment, immunobiological administration, disease diagnosis and cosmetic field, are highlighted in detail. At last, conclusions and future perspectives for development of advanced microneedles in biomedical fields have been discussed systematically. Taken together, as an emerging tool, microneedles have showed profound promise for biomedical applications.

A Double‐Layered Microneedle Platform Fabricated through Frozen Spray‐Coating

“…[ 1 ] Recently, researchers have developed a wide range of MN platforms with different morphologies including hollow, porous, swellable, barb‐presenting ones to meet and serve wider range of clinical settings. [ 2 ] For example, Prausnitz et al. recently reported a MN patch containing an effervescent backing layer between MN tips and the adhesive base, that reacts in contact with ISF and facilitates the rapid separation of MN tips from the patch.…”

“…[ 3 ] Barb‐structures were constructed on the surface of MN tips to mechanically interlock with tissue for enhanced tissue adhesion. [ 2b,4 ]…”

Progress in Microneedle-Mediated Protein Delivery

“…Recently, Yang et al [9] developed a photolithography-based method, utilizing low exposure to ultraviolet light for the encapsulation of BSA in MNs. They tested the stability of the protein by analyzing its primary, secondary, and tertiary structures, reporting complete stability of the protein under working conditions.…”

“…They also enable the direct delivery of vaccines into the skin, where dermal dendritic cells (DDCs) are densely distributed, acting as a potent physical adjuvant for successful transcutaneous immunization (TCI) [8]. Moreover, the use of microneedles likewise brings many benefits in cancer treatment, such as easy controllability and applicability, and a major synergistic effect [9]. Other important applications have been developed in the cosmetic field, where treatment with microneedles has made great progress.…”

“…Other important applications have been developed in the cosmetic field, where treatment with microneedles has made great progress. In particular, microneedles create transient holes to enhance the penetration of cosmetic compounds, and they trigger the wound repair mechanism [9].…”