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Protein-based microneedles for biomedical applications: A systematic review.
Maedeh Barati1, Shiva Hashemi1, Mahsa Sayed Tabatabaei1
1Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Biomedical Microdevices
|March 2, 2024
Summary
This review highlights proteins as promising materials for fabricating microneedles, focusing on their structural roles and unique properties for advanced drug delivery and biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Microneedles are minimally-invasive devices used for drug delivery, diagnostics, and cosmetics, capable of bypassing physiological barriers.
- Natural biopolymers, including carbohydrates and proteins, are increasingly explored for microneedle fabrication due to their biocompatibility and tunable properties.
- While carbohydrate-based microneedles have been reviewed, protein-based microneedles remain less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and highlight the role of proteins in microneedle construction.
- To analyze the structures, applications, and unique features of protein-based microneedles.
- To identify challenges and future prospects for protein biopolymers in microneedle technology.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search using PRISMA guidelines across PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar.
- Inclusion of original English articles with keywords 'microneedle(s)' and protein-related terms (e.g., silk, gelatin, collagen).
- Screening for articles where proteins play a structural role in microneedle fabrication.
Main Results:
- Proteins exhibit unique properties like mechanical strength, self-adhesion, and self-assembly, making them suitable for microneedle fabrication.
- Various protein sources, including silk, gelatin, collagen, zein, keratin, fish scale, mussel, and suckerin, have been investigated.
- Protein-based microneedles show potential in diverse applications, mirroring the versatility of carbohydrate-based counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Proteins are a promising class of biopolymers for developing advanced microneedles with enhanced properties.
- Further research into protein-based microneedles could lead to biomimetic materials with ideal characteristics for biomedical applications.
- This review underscores the significant, yet underappreciated, potential of proteins in microneedle technology.
