A Programmed Drug-Loaded and Penetration-Delivery Functionalized Microneedle Patch for Synergistic Obesity Treatment

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Metabolic Diseases

Background:

• Adipose tissue's microenvironment hinders drug delivery for obesity management.
• Current obesity treatments lack ideal strategies for effective drug accumulation and penetration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a dual-layered microneedle system for targeted obesity treatment.
• To achieve synergistic anti-obesity effects through programmed, controlled drug release.

Main Methods:

• Functionalized nanodrugs (capsaicin and BAM15) were assembled with solutol HS-15.
• A dual-layered microneedle system (BC-MNs) was created integrating these nanodrugs.
• In vitro and in vivo experiments evaluated the therapeutic efficacy.

Main Results:

• The BC-MNs enabled programmed transdermal delivery of nanodrugs.
• Capsaicin nanodrugs promoted white adipose tissue browning, while BAM15 nanodrugs enhanced beige adipocyte metabolism.
• Synergistic anti-obesity effects were observed in both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Conclusions:

• The cascade co-treatment strategy using microneedle drug delivery is a promising approach for obesity management.
• This system offers a potential new avenue for clinical treatment of obesity.
• The dual-layered microneedle system facilitates targeted delivery and synergistic therapeutic effects.