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Updated: Jul 26, 2025
Polymeric Microneedle Array Fabrication by Photolithography
Published on: November 17, 2015
Development of fast dissolving polymer-based microneedles for delivery of an antigenic melanoma cell membrane
Maria C Lobita1, Nesma El-Sayed2, João F Pinto3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands; W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Delivery of cancer cell membranes (CM) is a new approach for the activation of the immune system and the induction of immunotherapy of cancer. Local delivery of melanoma CM into skin can induce efficient immune stimulation of antigen presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells. In the current study, fast dissolving microneedles (MNs) were developed for the delivery of melanoma B16F10 CM. Two polymers were tested for the fabrication of MNs: poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid) (PMVE-MA) and hyaluronic acid (HA). The incorporation of CM in MNs was achieved through coating of the MNs using a multi-step layering procedure or the micromolding technique. The CM loading and its stabilization were improved by adding sugars (sucrose and trehalose) and a surfactant (Poloxamer 188), respectively. In an ex vivo experiment, both PMVE-MA and HA showed fast dissolutions (<30 s) after insertion into porcine skin. However, HA-MN showed better mechanical properties, namely improved resistance to fracture when submitted to a compression force. Overall, a B16F10 melanoma CM-dissolving MN system was efficiently developed as a promising device suggesting further studies in immunotherapy and melanoma applications.
