The comparative review of hydrogel and hydrogel microneedle application for transdermal drug delivery

Predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (3PM) represents the optimal healthcare paradigm, innovative treatment approaches can significantly improve the management of chronic diseases. Hydrogel and hydrogel microneedles have emerged as a transformative platform for transdermal drug delivery. This review presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of hydrogels and hydrogel microneedles, focusing on their structure and morphology, preparation processes, mechanical properties, drug delivery methods, biosafety and degradation behaviors. It further underscores the distinct advantages and emerging applications of hydrogel microneedles including the drugs administration of Ciprofloxacin, Doxorubicin and Insulin, etc., as well as their use in transdermal drug delivery, vaccination, wound healing, tissue regeneration, and biosensing. The innovative merits of hydrogel microneedles are particularly evident in mitochondrial biosensing, digital health monitoring and personalized rehabilitation. These insights will facilitate the rational design and optimization of hydrogel-based microneedles, thereby advancing their application in biomedical therapies.