Abstract
Microneedles (MNs) are tiny needle like structures used in drug delivery through layers of the skin. They are non-invasive and are associated with significantly less or no pain at the site of administration to the skin. MNs are excellent in delivering both small and large molecules to the subjects in need thereof. There exist several strategies for drug delivery using MNs, wherein each strategy has its pros and cons. Research in this domain lead to product development and commercialization for clinical use. Additionally, several MN-based products are undergoing clinical trials to evaluate its safety, efficacy, and tolerability. The present review begins by providing bird’s-eye view about the general characteristics of MNs followed by providing recent updates in the treatment of cancer using MNs. Particularly, we provide an overview of various aspects namely: anti-cancerous MNs that work based on sensor technology, MNs for treatment of breast cancer, skin carcinoma, prostate cancer, and MNs fabricated by additive manufacturing or 3 dimensional printing for treatment of cancer. Further, the review also provides limitations, safety concerns, and latest updates about the clinical trials on MNs for the treatment of cancer. Furthermore, we also provide a regulatory overview from the “United States Food and Drug Administration” about MNs.
Highlights
Drug delivery via the oral route is the most preferred route of drug administration due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness when compared to other routes [1,2]
To overcome the disadvantages of oral and parenteral routes of administration, researchers focused on developing a novel drug delivery systems that help in delivering the drug(s) through the layers of skin, popularly called ‘Transdermal Drug Delivery System’ (TDDS) [10,11]
Some of the MNs based anti-cancerous drugs delivered for treatment of skin carcinoma is discussed below: North Carolina State University inventors Zhen Gu and others reported self-degradable and sustained-release MNs patch of PD1 antibodies either alone or in combination with anti-CTLA4 antibody
Summary
Drug delivery via the oral route is the most preferred route of drug administration due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness when compared to other routes [1,2]. Site-specific delivery helps in preventing the death of healthy cells and thereby avoiding the side effects and maintaining the safety of subjects undergoing chemotherapy These aspects shall be considered by duly taking care of various challenges and limitations posed by MNs. For the sake of clarity and brevity, the present review begins by providing general characteristics of MNs, wherein we highlight the information pertinent to conception of MNs, different approaches or strategies employed in drug delivery, the manufacturing methods, materials, clinical applications (with benefits, challenges and enhanced therapeutic outcome in clinical applications), design and geometry.
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