Development of Electrical-stimulus Responsive Hydrogel Microneedle for Transdermal Drug Delivery

초록

Microneedles are widely recognized in the field of TDDS (Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems) as a minimally invasive and virtually painless administration method that avoids stimulating nerve systems. Recently, hydrogel-based microneedles (hMNs) have been developed to enhance drug loading capacity and achieve sustained drug release. Despite their excellent drug-loading properties, hMNs have limitations of rapid and uncontrollable drug release upon swelling, which may lead to potential toxicity in human. This study aims to develop a “smart drug delivery carrier” capable of controlling the drug release rate in response to electrical stimulation. Stimuliresponsive hydrogels can reversibly modify their internal networks when exposed to specific external stimuli. In particular, the electrical stimulation provides the advantage of tunable intensity and instant on/off control, enabling fine control over the amount and timing of drug release. In this study, a photo-crosslinkable natural polymer was utilized to ensure adequate mechanical strength for skin insertion. By incorporating a conductive polymer into the composite, an electrically responsive drug release behavior was successfully implemented. This electrically conductive hMNs demonstrate the ability to achieve precise, on-demand drug release, highlighting its potential to transdermal delivery of therapeutics such as insulin and female hormones that require tightly regulated administration.