A Porous Reservoir-Backed Boronate Gel Microneedle for Efficient Skin Penetration and Sustained Glucose-Responsive Insulin Delivery
Siyuan Chen,
Takuya Miyazaki,
Michiko Itoh,
Hiroko Matsumoto,
Yuki Moro-oka,
Miyako Tanaka,
Yuji Miyahara,
Takayoshi Suganami,
Akira Matsumoto
Affiliations
Siyuan Chen
Research Institute for Biomaterials, Tech Institute for Advanced Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Suqian Advanced Materials Industry Technology Innovation Center, NJTech-BARTY Joint Research Center for Innovative Medical Technology, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 212000, China
Takuya Miyazaki
Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Michiko Itoh
Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Hiroko Matsumoto
Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Yuki Moro-oka
Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Miyako Tanaka
Department of Molecular Medicine and Metabolism, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
Yuji Miyahara
Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Takayoshi Suganami
Department of Molecular Medicine and Metabolism, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
Akira Matsumoto
Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Recently, phenylboronic acid (PBA) gel containing microneedle (MN) technology with acute and sustained glucose-sensitive functionality has attracted significant research attention. Herein, we report a polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)-coated MNs patch with an interconnected porous gel drug reservoir for enhanced skin penetration efficiency and mechanical strength. The hybrid MNs patch fabricated with a novel, efficient method displayed a “cake-like” two-layer structure, with the tip part being composed of boronate-containing smart gel attached to a porous gel layer as a drug reservoir. The porous structure provides the necessary structural support for skin insertion and space for insulin loading. The mechanical strength of the hybrid MNs patch was further enhanced by surface coating with crystallized PVA. Compared with MNs patches attached to hollow drug reservoirs, this hybrid MNs patch with a porous gel reservoir was shown to be able to penetrate the skin more effectively, and is promising for on-demand, long-acting transdermal insulin delivery with increased patient compliance.
