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Self-setting bioceramic microscopic protrusions for transdermal drug delivery
Bing Cai1, Wei Xia, Susanne Bredenberg
1Division for Applied Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences, The Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 534, SE-751 21, Uppsala, Sweden. wei.xia@angstrom.uu.se.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|April 9, 2020
Summary
Bioceramic microneedles offer a novel, minimally invasive transdermal drug delivery system. These resorbable needles demonstrate high mechanical strength and controlled drug release, improving upon current microneedle technologies.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Current microneedle (MN) technologies using silicon, metal, or polymers face limitations in biocompatibility, drug loading, mechanical strength, and storage.
- There is a need for advanced MN materials that overcome these drawbacks for efficient and safe transdermal drug delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate self-setting bioceramics as a novel material for fabricating microneedles for transdermal drug delivery.
- To evaluate the drug loading, release kinetics, mechanical properties, and skin penetration of bioceramic MNs.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of self-setting bioceramic microneedles using a master mold under mild conditions.
- Characterization of needle microstructure and porosity using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and microCT.
- Assessment of drug release profiles, mechanical strength, and skin penetration efficacy on porcine skin.
Main Results:
- Bioceramic microneedles were successfully fabricated with high mechanical strength and resorbability.
- The fabrication process under mild conditions minimized drug degradation and allowed for higher drug loading.
- Drug release rates were controllable via surface area, porosity, and resorption rate.
- The bioceramic MNs demonstrated effective penetration of porcine stratum corneum.
Conclusions:
- Self-setting bioceramics represent a promising new material for developing advanced microneedles.
- Bioceramic microneedles offer a safe, efficient, and tunable platform for transdermal drug delivery, overcoming limitations of existing technologies.
