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Updated: Nov 25, 2025
Hollow Microneedle-based Sensor for Multiplexed Transdermal Electrochemical Sensing
Published on: June 1, 2012
Microneedles for painless transdermal immunotherapeutic applications
Hamed Amani1, Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi2, Carmine D'Amico3
1Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland; Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
Microneedles (MNs) offer a minimally invasive way to deliver immunotherapy, enhancing immune responses for diseases like cancer. This approach improves long-term treatment outcomes by targeting skin-resident immune cells effectively.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Immunology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Immunotherapy shows promise for various diseases but often faces challenges with long-term patient responses.
- The skin's dermis contains a high concentration of immune cells like dendritic cells, macrophages, lymphocytes, and mast cells, making it a key target for immunomodulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in engineered microneedles (MNs) for immunotherapy.
- To highlight the advantages of MNs in overcoming limitations of traditional immunotherapy for hard-to-treat diseases.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of microneedle properties: painless stratum corneum traversal, minimal invasiveness, ease of fabrication, biocompatibility, convenient administration, and bypassing first-pass metabolism.
- Focus on MNs as a platform for delivering immunological biomolecules directly to dermal antigen-presenting cells.
Main Results:
- Microneedles enhance immuno-reprogramming strategies by effectively targeting dermal immune cells.
- MNs facilitate direct translocation of therapeutics into systemic circulation, improving treatment efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Engineered microneedles represent a promising advancement in immunotherapy delivery.
- MNs offer a minimally invasive and effective strategy for treating diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders, with potential for improved long-term outcomes.
