Antimicrobial microneedles: Advances, mechanisms, and applications in combating bacterial infections

Bacterial infections pose a significant threat to human health, with antibiotics being the conventional treatment strategy. However, challenges such as rising bacterial resistance and limited drug penetration through the stratum corneum have significantly restricted the efficacy of traditional drug delivery methods. As an innovative transdermal drug delivery system, microneedles (MNs) effectively overcome these limitations. More notably, MNs have demonstrated unique advantages in combating bacterial infections, establishing them as a highly promising research focus in this field. Firstly, this review provides a concise overview of the pathophysiology of bacterial infections. Subsequently, four types of MNs designed for combating bacterial infections are introduced, with a detailed discussion of their characteristics and common fabrication methods. Furthermore, the applications and advancements of antimicrobial MNs in preventing bacterial infections, treating infectious skin diseases, managing wounds, and other areas are summarized. Finally, the antimicrobial mechanisms of MNs are elaborated upon, followed by a discussion on the current research progress and future directions in this field. Antibacterial MNs offer a novel, safer, and more effective strategy for combating bacterial infections. Reviewing these research findings contributes to the development of new insights and methodologies, thereby advancing this domain.