Microneedle-based platforms for wound healing: recent advances

Chronic and complex wounds remain a major clinical challenge due to persistent inflammation, infection, impaired angiogenesis, and dysregulated immune responses. In response, microneedle (MN) technology has emerged as a minimally invasive, highly versatile platform for wound healing by enabling direct delivery of therapeutics into viable tissue while also supporting wound monitoring and microenvironment modulation. Moreover, advances in MN fabrication techniques, such as micromolding, 3D printing, and centrifugal drawing, enable precise control over needle geometry, mechanical strength, and drug-loading strategies. Diverse MN designs, including dissolvable, swellable, porous, hollow, separable, and multifunctional types, have consequently expanded therapeutic functionality beyond passive drug delivery to encompass immunomodulation, antimicrobial action, angiogenesis, neurovascular regeneration, antioxidative protection, and scar remodeling. Further, intelligent MN systems combine biosensing with stimuli-responsive drug release, enabling real-time monitoring and on-demand therapy tailored to the changing wound environment. This review summarizes recent advances in MN fabrication methods, structural designs, and integration with other scaffolds. It also discusses diagnostic and sensing capabilities, as well as therapeutic mechanisms across diverse wound types, highlighting the translational potential of multifunctional MN systems for next-generation wound care.