Microneedle Patch Delivery of Controlled-Release Microspheres to the Skin
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Jang, Derek
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Abstract
Self-administration is desirable for drug delivery due to better patient compliance and fewer administration logistics compared to traditional injection, especially for long-term treatment. Microneedle (MN) patches present a self-administrable drug delivery platform that can treat both systemic and local diseases. Most MN patches involve bolus delivery, notably with vaccines, but a controlled drug release profile is desirable in many cases, whether to treat a chronic condition, increase efficacy and safety, or increase patient compliance. Biodegradable microspheres (MS) have been designed to achieve controlled release kinetics, but they are typically injected, requiring professional healthcare administration and reducing patient compliance. We believe that MN patches can be adapted to deliver engineered MS to create a self-administrable, long-acting drug delivery platform. In Aim 1, we demonstrated a proof-of-concept MN patch delivering controlled-release MS releasing etonogestrel (ENG), a systemic contraceptive drug. We first adapted the MN patch fabrication method and formulation for loading MS into MNs. The optimized MN patch retained the engineered MS release kinetics and could be inserted into rat skin in vivo, where they deposited the MS that slowly released ENG into the serum over time. In Aim 2, we further investigated a novel observation that MS could stick to MN mold walls and fail to localize to the MN tips during fabrication. We found that interventions targeting hydrophobic interactions between the MS and mold greatly improved MS localization into the MN tips, resulting in greater MS loading into the patch and delivery into the skin. Together, we demonstrated initial studies to develop MS-loaded MN patches that could be applied to a wide range of healthcare problems.
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Date
2022-07-07
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Dissertation