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Loh JM, Lim YJL, Tay JT, Cheng HM, Tey HL, Liang K. Design and fabrication of customizable microneedles enabled by 3D printing for biomedical applications. Bioact Mater 2024; 32:222-241. [PMID: 37869723 PMCID: PMC10589728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Microneedles (MNs) is an emerging technology that employs needles ranging from 10 to 1000 μm in height, as a minimally invasive technique for various procedures such as therapeutics, disease monitoring and diagnostics. The commonly used method of fabrication, micromolding, has the advantage of scalability, however, micromolding is unable to achieve rapid customizability in dimensions, geometries and architectures, which are the pivotal factors determining the functionality and efficacy of the MNs. 3D printing offers a promising alternative by enabling MN fabrication with high dimensional accuracy required for precise applications, leading to improved performance. Furthermore, enabled by its customizability and one-step process, there is propitious potential for growth for 3D-printed MNs especially in the field of personalized and on-demand medical devices. This review provides an overview of considerations for the key parameters in designing MNs, an introduction on the various 3D-printing techniques for fabricating this new generation of MNs, as well as highlighting the advancements in biomedical applications facilitated by 3D-printed MNs. Lastly, we offer some insights into the future prospects of 3D-printed MNs, specifically its progress towards translation and entry into market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Min Loh
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Yun Jie Larissa Lim
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Jin Ting Tay
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | | | - Hong Liang Tey
- National Skin Centre (NSC), Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Yong Loo Ling School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kun Liang
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Singapore
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Lyu S, Dong Z, Xu X, Bei HP, Yuen HY, James Cheung CW, Wong MS, He Y, Zhao X. Going below and beyond the surface: Microneedle structure, materials, drugs, fabrication, and applications for wound healing and tissue regeneration. Bioact Mater 2023; 27:303-326. [PMID: 37122902 PMCID: PMC10140753 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Microneedle, as a novel drug delivery system, has attracted widespread attention due to its non-invasiveness, painless and simple administration, controllable drug delivery, and diverse cargo loading capacity. Although microneedles are initially designed to penetrate stratum corneum of skin for transdermal drug delivery, they, recently, have been used to promote wound healing and regeneration of diverse tissues and organs and the results are promising. Despite there are reviews about microneedles, few of them focus on wound healing and tissue regeneration. Here, we review the recent advances of microneedles in this field. We first give an overview of microneedle system in terms of its potential cargos (e.g., small molecules, macromolecules, nucleic acids, nanoparticles, extracellular vesicle, cells), structural designs (e.g., multidrug structures, adhesive structures), material selection, and drug release mechanisms. Then we briefly summarize different microneedle fabrication methods, including their advantages and limitations. We finally summarize the recent progress of microneedle-assisted wound healing and tissue regeneration (e.g., skin, cardiac, bone, tendon, ocular, vascular, oral, hair, spinal cord, and uterine tissues). We expect that our article would serve as a guideline for readers to design their microneedle systems according to different applications, including material selection, drug selection, and structure design, for achieving better healing and regeneration efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang Lyu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Zhifei Dong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaoxiao Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ho-Pan Bei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Ho-Yin Yuen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Chung-Wai James Cheung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
| | - Man-Sang Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
- Corresponding author.
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McCrudden MTC, McAlister E, Courtenay AJ, González-Vázquez P, Singh TRR, Donnelly RF. Microneedle applications in improving skin appearance. Exp Dermatol 2015; 24:561-6. [PMID: 25865925 DOI: 10.1111/exd.12723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Microneedles (MNs) are micron-sized, minimally invasive devices that breach the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), creating transient, aqueous pores in the skin and facilitating the transport of therapeutic molecules into the epidermis. Following many years of extensive research in the area of MN-mediated trans- and intra-dermal drug delivery, MNs are now being exploited in the cosmeceutical industry as a means of disrupting skin cell architecture, inducing elastin and collagen expression and deposition. They are also being used as vehicles to deliver cosmeceutic molecules across the skin, in addition to their use in combinatorial treatments with topical agents or light sources. This review explores the chronology of microneedling methodologies, which has led to the emergence of MN devices, now extensively used in cosmeceutical applications. Recent developments in therapeutic molecule and peptide delivery to the skin via MN platforms are addressed and some commercially available MN devices are described. Important safety and regulatory considerations relating to MN usage are addressed, as are studies relating to public perception of MN, as these will undoubtedly influence the acceptance of MN products as they progress towards commercialisation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma McAlister
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
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