Researchers and biotechnology company Vaxxas are studying if the new delivery technology, called a high-density microarray patch, can protect participants from diseases including measles and rubella. If successful, the needle-less technology could be used for a number of other vaccinations including influenza and COVID-19.
Silk fibroin has been widely used as fundamental components for the construction of biocompatible flexible electronics, particularly for wearable and implantable devices. Furthermore, in recent years, more attention has been paid to the investigation of the functional characteristics of silk fibroin, such as the dielectric properties, piezoelectric properties, strong ability to lose electrons, and sensitivity to environmental variables. Here, this paper not only reviews the preparation technologies for various forms of silk fibroin and the recent progress in the use of silk fibroin as a fundamental material but also focuses on the recent advanced works in which silk fibroin serves as functional components. Additionally, the challenges and future development of silk fibroin-based flexible electronics are summarized.
A need-based layered dissolving microneedle system loading tacrolimus (TAC) and diclofenac sodium (DIC) in different layers specifically delivers TAC and DIC to skin and articular cavity, simultaneously alleviating psoriatic skin and arthritic joint lesions.
Conclusion. Acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment for CPRD, and acupuncture combined with drug therapy is more effective than single-drug therapy. Nevertheless, the conclusions were limited due to the low quality and a small number of included studies.
3D printing offers customization, cost-efficiency, a rapid turnaround time between design iterations, and enhanced accessibility. Increasing the printing resolution, the accuracy of the features, and the accessibility of low-cost raw printing materials have empowered 3D printing to be utilized for the fabrication of microneedle platforms. The development of 3D-printed microneedles has enabled the evolution of pain-free controlled release drug delivery systems, devices for extracting fluids from the cutaneous tissue, biosignal acquisition, and point-of-care diagnostic devices in personalized medicine.
Oftentimes, doctors use blood samples to check for biomarkers of disease: antibodies that signal a viral or bacterial infection, such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19; or cytokines indicative of inflammation seen in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis.
Researchers from the University of Kent and the University of Strathclyde have developed a novel device that combines 3D printing, microneedles, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for controllable transdermal drug delivery.
Autoimmune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis, alopecia areata, and vitiligo, have been reported as the 4th leading cause of nonfatal disease burden worldwide. This is mainly related to the poor quality of life experienced by these patients. Although topical and systemic steroids represent the most common treatment, the variability in success rates and side effects often lead to treatment discontinuation.
3D printing offers customization, cost-efficiency, a rapid turnaround time between design iterations, and enhanced accessibility. Increasing the printing resolution, the accuracy of the features, and the accessibility of low-cost raw printing materials have empowered 3D printing to be utilized for the fabrication of microneedle platforms. The development of 3D-printed microneedles has enabled the evolution of pain-free controlled release drug delivery systems, devices for extracting fluids from the cutaneous tissue, biosignal acquisition, and point-of-care diagnostic devices in personalized medicine.
The team at Swansea University in Wales is developing the first coronavirus vaccine in the form of a "smart patch." The device is disposable and administers the vaccine through microneedles, which simultaneously monitor its efficacy by measuring each individual's immune response.
Microneedle (MN) technology is a rising star in the point-of-care (POC) field, which has gained increasing attention from scientists and clinics. MN-based POC devices show great potential for detecting various analytes of clinical interests and transdermal drug delivery in a minimally invasive manner owing to MNs’ micro-size sharp tips and ease of use. This review aims to go through the recent achievements in MN-based devices by investigating the selection of materials, fabrication techniques, classification, and application, respectively. We further highlight critical aspects of MN platforms for transdermal biofluids extraction, diagnosis, and drug delivery assisted disease therapy.
A novel device for enhancing wound healing, the detachable hybrid microneedle depot. It is the first device to use a microneedle array to facilitate localized mesenchymal stem cell delivery with a minimal dose of cells.
Microneedles are being widely explored for dermal delivery of macromolecules. They have the capability and the potential for entrapping enzymes such as lysozyme within a polymeric matrix that do not alter the protein integrity, enable a bolus or a sustained release.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is encapsulated in the micropores of CSMNA by temperature sensitive hydrogel. Therefore, the smart release of the drugs can be controllably realized via the temperature rising induced by the inflammation response at the site of wounds.
OND are developing novel techniques and materials to produce low cost needle patches to deliver vaccines and drugs to the immune system http://www.oxfordnanodelivery.com
The microneedle patch avoids any painful injections, offering a significant enhancement from the perspective of patients. Extensive research has shown microneedle skin patches are almost painless, and could even be self-administered by patients at home. The patch is small, portable, and similar to a nicotine patch, which could be easily distributed to all people over the world for self-administration in the case of a pandemic such as the COVID-19 crisis to quickly create a pan-immunity at the global scale.
Barely visible needles, or “microneedles,” are poised to usher in an era of pain-free injections and blood testing. Whether attached to a syringe or a patch, microneedles prevent pain by avoiding contact with nerve endings. Typically 50 to 2,000 microns in length (about the depth of a sheet of paper) and one to 100 microns wide (about the width of human hair), they penetrate the dead, top layer of skin to reach into the second layer—the epidermis—consisting of viable cells and a liquid known as interstitial fluid.
Here, we propose a novel and simple method to efficiently capture the diffusion of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran from a biocompatible substance and load the drug only to the tip of DNA microneedles. A dispensing and suction method was chosen to fabricate the designed microneedles with efficient amounts of FITC as the drug model. Importantly, the vacuum process, which could influence the capturing of FITC diffusion from the tip, was evaluated during the manufacturing process.
Pharmather Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newscope Capital Corporation (“Pharmather” or the “Company”) (CSE: PHRM) and a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of psychedelic pharmaceuticals, is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into an exclusive license agreement (the “Agreement”) with BioRAE, Inc., for the development and commercialization of a novel biocompatible and biodegradable gelatin methacryloyl microneedle (“GelMA-MN”) delivery technology developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (“UCLA”) for use with psychedelic pharmaceuticals, including, but not limited to Psilocybin, Ketamine, Ibogaine, LSD, MDMA, DMT, and Cannabinoids.
Microneedle developers from Queen’s University Belfast and PDT researchers from the University of São Paulo fabricated arrays of 500-µm-long needles by mixing a water-soluble polymer and a precursor to a PDT photosensitizer. In experiments with mice, these dissolving microneedles proved better than topical cream-based administration – the conventional approach for PDT – at delivering the therapeutic agent to a tumour’s surface. The researchers say that the results are especially promising for the treatment of thicker skin lesions.
We herein presented a unified procedure performed using percussion CO2 laser drilling with a range of laser parameters, substrate materials and various generated microstructures, enabling a variety of downstream tissue/cellular-based applications. Emphasis is placed on delineating the laser drilling effect on different biocompatible materials and proof-of-concept utilities.
This long‐acting, on‐demand insulin delivery technology may offer a candidate for a next‐generation diabetes therapy that is remarkably stable, safe, economically efficient, and capable of providing both acute‐ and continuous glycemic control in a manner minimally dependent on patient compliance.
When determining the method of delivery for these genes, there are advantages to choosing a local, rather than systemic delivery of the genetic material. With systemic delivery, there is the possibility of unwanted tissue accumulation or of the genetic material becoming unstable. It is also advantageous to target the skin as a site for local delivery, as it is easily accessible and contains fluid and lymph vessels, as well as immune cells upon which the genetic material can act to initiate treatment.
MNs are coated with insulin/poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA) layer-by-layer (LBL) films at pH3.0. This coating is pH-sensitive because the net charge insulin bears turns from positive to negative when pH increases from 3.0 to 7.4. As a result, when transferred to pH7.4 media, e.g., when inserted into skin, the coating dissociates instantly and release insulin rapidly. A brief epidermal application (<1 min) of the coated MNs is enough for complete film dissociation. More importantly, the coated MN patch exhibits a pharmacokinetic and a pharmacodynamic profile comparable to that of insulin administrated by SC injection, suggesting the coated MN patch can deliver insulin as rapidly as SC injection.
The microneedle (MN), a highly efficient and versatile device, has attracted extensive scientific and industrial interests in the past decades due to prominent properties including painless penetration, low cost, excellent therapeutic efficacy, and relative safety. The robust microneedle enabling transdermal delivery has a paramount potential to create advanced functional devices with superior nature for biomedical applications. In this review, a great effort has been made to summarize the advance of microneedles including their materials and latest fabrication method, such as three-dimensional printing (3DP).
Ordinarily, microneedle patches consist of a small polymer square, the underside of which is covered in an array of tiny medication-filled spikes that are made of a water-soluble, biocompatible material. When that patch is pressed against the patient's body, the spikes painlessly penetrate the top layer of skin. They then dissolve, releasing the medication into the bloodstream via the interstitial fluid that surrounds the skin cells.
Microneedle patch devices have been widely utilized for transdermal drug delivery in pain management, but is challenged by accurate control of drug release and subsequent diffusion to human body. The recent emerging wearable electronics that could be integrated with microneedle devices offer a facile approach to address such a challenge.
“We have fabricated high strength glass carbon microneedles which can withstand the skin resistive forces. Added to this is our designing of the ionic polymer metal composite membrane based micropump which increases the flow rate of the drug molecules in a controlled and precise manner. We have further integrated this microneedle and micropump to achieve controlled drug delivery.” He said the device would find extensive use in any form of transdermal medication.
Intra-Dermal drug delivery: Opportunities and Challenges?
