Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.9
5.4
Journals
Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Recent Advances in Microneedle-Mediated Drug Delivery, 2nd Edition
share announcement

Recent Advances in Microneedle-Mediated Drug Delivery, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 3260

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xin Pan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmceutical Science, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: microneedles; pulmonary drug delivery; novel drug-delivery systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guilan Quan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: dissolving microneedles for transdermal drug delivery; porous carriers for drug delivery; immunotherapy; phototherapy; nanomedicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microneedles (MNs) have become a new generation of topical delivery systems, which are revolutionizing the landscape of transdermal drug delivery. In general, MNs are micrometer-sized needles arranged orderly on a base, and their lengths usually range from 25 to 2000 μm. Research has proved that the MNs can penetrate the stratum corneum and create an array of temporary microchannels in the skin, which can significantly increase transdermal drug permeation. In addition, MNs are designed to penetrate into the viable epidermis and upper dermis, to avoid contact with the nerve fibers and blood vessels that reside primarily in the deep dermal layer, resulting in minimal pain and invasiveness. With great patient compliance and efficiency in drug delivery, MNs could offer unlimited potential for the transdermal delivery of various therapeutic agents such as small molecules, biological macromolecules, vaccines, and even nanoparticles.

The theme of this Special Issue deals with all aspects of microneedle-mediated drug-delivery systems including the design, fabrication, and characterization of microneedle formulations, and their use as strategies for the prevention or treatment of medical conditions such as cancer, infection, diabetes, and dermatological diseases and for vaccinations.

Dr. Xin Pan
Dr. Guilan Quan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • transdermal drug delivery
  • microneedle-mediated drug delivery
  • dissolving microneedles

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 3907 KiB  
Article
Designing a Placebo Microneedle Stamp: Modeling and Validation in a Clinical Control Trial
by Seung-Yeon Jeong, Ye-Seul Lee, Ji-Yeun Park, Jung-Hwan Park, Hi-Joon Park and Song-Yi Kim
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(3), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16030395 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 654
Abstract
Recently, several clinical studies have been conducted using microneedles (MNs), and various devices have been developed. This study aimed to propose and confirm the feasibility of a placebo control for activating MN clinical research. A 0.5 mm MN stamp with 42 needles was [...] Read more.
Recently, several clinical studies have been conducted using microneedles (MNs), and various devices have been developed. This study aimed to propose and confirm the feasibility of a placebo control for activating MN clinical research. A 0.5 mm MN stamp with 42 needles was used as a treatment intervention, and a placebo stamp with four acupressure-type needles that did not penetrate was proposed and designed as a control for comparison. First, to check whether the placebo stamp did not invade the skin and to set an appropriate level of pressure to be provided during skin stimulation, two participants were stimulated with five different forces on the forearm, and then the skin was dyed. Secondly, to evaluate the validity of the placebo control group, a blinded study between the MN and placebo stamps was performed on 15 participants. We confirmed that the placebo stamp did not penetrate the skin at any intensity or location. Both types of stamps reported relatively low pain levels, but the MN stamp induced higher pain compared to the placebo stamp. Based on the speculation regarding the type of intervention received, the MN stamp was successfully blinded (random guess), whereas the placebo stamp was unblinded. However, according to a subgroup analysis, it was confirmed that the group with low skin sensitivity was completely blind. Blinding the placebo MN stamp had limited success in participants with low skin sensitivity. Future research on suitable placebo controls, considering the variations in MN stamp length and needle count, is warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Microneedle-Mediated Drug Delivery, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1913 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Characterization of Dissolving Microneedles: Factors Affecting Physical Strength of Needles
by Daisuke Ando, Megumi Miyatsuji, Hideyuki Sakoda, Eiichi Yamamoto, Tamaki Miyazaki, Tatsuo Koide, Yoji Sato and Ken-ichi Izutsu
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(2), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16020200 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1142
Abstract
Dissolving microneedles (MNs) are novel transdermal drug delivery systems that can be painlessly self-administered. This study investigated the effects of experimental conditions on the mechanical characterization of dissolving MNs for quality evaluation. Micromolding was used to fabricate polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based dissolving MN patches [...] Read more.
Dissolving microneedles (MNs) are novel transdermal drug delivery systems that can be painlessly self-administered. This study investigated the effects of experimental conditions on the mechanical characterization of dissolving MNs for quality evaluation. Micromolding was used to fabricate polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based dissolving MN patches with eight different cone-shaped geometries. Axial force mechanical characterization test conditions, in terms of compression speed and the number of compression needles per test, significantly affected the needle fracture force of dissolving MNs. Characterization using selected test conditions clearly showed differences in the needle fracture force of dissolving MNs prepared under various conditions. PVA-based MNs were divided into two groups that showed buckling and unbuckling deformation, which occurred at aspect ratios (needle height/base diameter) of 2.8 and 1.8, respectively. The needle fracture force of PVA-based MNs was negatively correlated with an increase in the needle’s aspect ratio. Higher residual water or higher loading of lidocaine hydrochloride significantly decreased the needle fracture force. Therefore, setting appropriate methods and parameters for characterizing the mechanical properties of dissolving MNs should contribute to the development and supply of appropriate products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Microneedle-Mediated Drug Delivery, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 1883 KiB  
Review
The Necessity to Investigate In Vivo Fate of Nanoparticle-Loaded Dissolving Microneedles
by Ziyao Chang, Yuhuan Wu, Ping Hu, Junhuang Jiang, Guilan Quan, Chuanbin Wu, Xin Pan and Zhengwei Huang
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(2), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16020286 - 17 Feb 2024
Viewed by 959
Abstract
Transdermal drug delivery systems are rapidly gaining prominence and have found widespread application in the treatment of numerous diseases. However, they encounter the challenge of a low transdermal absorption rate. Microneedles can overcome the stratum corneum barrier to enhance the transdermal absorption rate. [...] Read more.
Transdermal drug delivery systems are rapidly gaining prominence and have found widespread application in the treatment of numerous diseases. However, they encounter the challenge of a low transdermal absorption rate. Microneedles can overcome the stratum corneum barrier to enhance the transdermal absorption rate. Among various types of microneedles, nanoparticle-loaded dissolving microneedles (DMNs) present a unique combination of advantages, leveraging the strengths of DMNs (high payload, good mechanical properties, and easy fabrication) and nanocarriers (satisfactory solubilization capacity and a controlled release profile). Consequently, they hold considerable clinical application potential in the precision medicine era. Despite this promise, no nanoparticle-loaded DMN products have been approved thus far. The lack of understanding regarding their in vivo fate represents a critical bottleneck impeding the clinical translation of relevant products. This review aims to elucidate the current research status of the in vivo fate of nanoparticle-loaded DMNs and elaborate the necessity to investigate the in vivo fate of nanoparticle-loaded DMNs from diverse aspects. Furthermore, it offers insights into potential entry points for research into the in vivo fate of nanoparticle-loaded DMNs, aiming to foster further advancements in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Microneedle-Mediated Drug Delivery, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop