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Cell Viability Assessment of PEDOT Conducting Polymer-Coated Microneedles for Skin Sampling.
Siti Musliha Ajmal Mokhtar1,2, Ainslie L K Derrick-Roberts1, Drew R Evans1
1Future Industries Institute, UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
ACS Applied Bio Materials
|October 30, 2023
Summary
This study assessed the skin cell safety of electroactive microneedles (MNs) using conducting polymers (CPs). While PEDOT-based MNs showed no cytotoxicity, low cell seeding densities exhibited reduced viability and proliferation after 48 hours.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Dermatology
Background:
- Microneedle (MN) devices offer minimally invasive transdermal monitoring and drug delivery.
- Electroactive MNs utilizing conducting polymers (CPs) enable electrical assistance for biomarker capture or drug release.
- The biocompatibility of CPs, particularly upon electrochemical biasing, requires further investigation due to potential ion exchange and biological risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biocompatibility of electrochemically biased microneedle pairs made from differently doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene) (PEDOT) on skin cells.
- To determine the impact of electrical biasing on human keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts.
- To assess the viability and proliferation of skin cells exposed to PEDOT extracts under varying cell seeding densities and incubation periods.
Main Methods:
- Indirect testing methodology using culture media exposed to PEDOTs prior to cell addition.
- Evaluation of human keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts viability and proliferation.
- Comparison of cell responses to both unbiased and biased PEDOT extracts across different initial cell seeding densities and incubation times (48 hours).
Main Results:
- No cytotoxicity was observed in human keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts exposed to either unbiased or biased PEDOT extracts.
- A reduction in cell viability and proliferation was noted in cells cultured at a low seeding density compared to the control group after 48 hours of incubation.
- The impact of biasing on PEDOT-CPs did not induce significant cytotoxicity, but subtle effects on cell behavior were observed under specific conditions.
Conclusions:
- Electrically biased PEDOT-based microneedles demonstrate a favorable safety profile with no observed cytotoxicity on skin cells.
- While generally safe, the use of these microneedles may influence skin cell viability and proliferation at low cell densities, warranting further investigation.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects and optimize the design of electroactive microneedles for transdermal applications.
