Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Jan 2023)

Biodegradable double-network GelMA-ACNM hydrogel microneedles for transdermal drug delivery

  • Wensheng Lin,
  • Shixian Lin,
  • Xingwu Zhou,
  • Fanwen Yang,
  • Zishan Lin,
  • Shiqing Li,
  • Haoyuan Zhang,
  • Yuehan Ouyang,
  • Jieying Zhu,
  • Jieying Zhu,
  • Wei Sun,
  • Wei Sun,
  • Dequn Huang,
  • Baojian Liao,
  • Baojian Liao,
  • Jixiang Zhu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1110604
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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As a minimally invasive drug delivery platform, microneedles (MNs) overcome many drawbacks of the conventional transdermal drug delivery systems, therefore are favorable in biomedical applications. Microneedles with a combined burst and sustained release profile and maintained therapeutic molecular bioactivity could further broaden its applications as therapeutics. Here, we developed a double-network microneedles (DN MNs) based on gelatin methacrylate and acellular neural matrix (GelMA-ACNM). ACNM could function as an early drug release matrix, whereas the addition of GelMA facilitates sustained drug release. In particular, the double-network microneedles comprising GelMA-ACNM hydrogel has distinctive biological features in maintaining drug activity to meet the needs of application in treating different diseases. In this study, we prepared the double-network microneedles and evaluated its morphology, mechanical properties, drug release properties and biocompatibility, which shows great potential for delivery of therapeutic molecules that needs different release profiles in transdermal treatment.

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