Sustained release of insulin from silk microneedles

Abstract

The traditional method of injecting insulin requires multiple injections to stimulate the insulin secretion pattern physiologically, and injections have compliance and comfort issues. Microneedle s can reduce pain and are a patient-friendly technique. In this study, silk fibroin was utilized as a drug delivery system, which exhibited an excellent therapeutic effect by maintaining proper insulin activity. It makes a noninvasive alternative to traditional insulin administration by injection a reality and improves insulin use safety. The swelling capacity of the needle controls the release of insulin to stabilize the blood glucose concentration and achieve a long-term effect of lowering blood sugar. The relative effectiveness and bioavailability of the insulin-loaded microneedle patches were 69.4 ± 7.2% and 64.6 ± 9.5%, respectively, in hypoglycemic therapy in diabetic rats. Silk microneedle patches provide a new idea for solving the problem of cold chain transportation and bring new hope for the treatment of diabetes.