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Dissolving undercut microneedle arrays for multicomponent cutaneous vaccination.

ABSTRACT: The skin is an attractive tissue target for vaccination, as it is readily accessible and contains a dense population of antigen-presenting and immune-accessory cells. Microneedle arrays (MNAs) are emerging as an effective tool for in situ engineering of the cutaneous microenvironment to enable diverse immunization strategies. Here, we present novel dissolving undercut MNAs and demonstrate their application for effective multicomponent cutaneous vaccination. The MNAs are composed of micron-scale needles featuring pyramidal heads supported by undercut stem regions with filleted bases to ensure successful skin penetration and retention during application. Prior efforts to fabricate dissolving undercut microstructures were limited and required complex and lengthy processing and assembly steps. In the current study, we strategically combine three-dimensional (3D) laser lithography, an emerging micro-additive manufacturing method with unique geometric capabilities and nanoscale resolution, and micromolding with favorable materials. This approach enables reproducible production of dissolving MNAs with undercut microneedles that can be tip-loaded with multiple biocargos, such as antigen (ovalbumin) and adjuvant (Poly(I:C)). The resulting MNAs fulfill the geometric (sharp tips and smooth edges) and mechanical-strength requirements for failure-free penetration of human and murine skin to simultaneously deliver multicomponent (antigen plus adjuvant) vaccines to the same cutaneous microenvironment. Cutaneous vaccination of mice using these MNAs induces more potent antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune responses than those elicited by traditional intramuscular injection. Together, the unique geometric features of these undercut MNAs and the associated manufacturing strategy, which is compatible with diverse drugs and biologics, could enable a broad range of non-cutaneous and cutaneous drug delivery applications, including multicomponent vaccination.

SUBMITTER: Balmert SC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8237702 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Levothyroxine (LT-4) sodium has shown variable bioavailability following oral administration. This can be assigned to the significant influence of gastrointestinal conditions, food and drugs administered concomitantly on the rate and extent of absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, the aim of this research study was to establish an efficient transdermal delivery system of LT-4 sodium via the application of hyaluronic acid dissolving microneedles. Microneedles-based drug delivery system consists of sharp-tip needles that puncture the top layers of the skin in a minimally invasive manner to create physical channels through which therapeutic molecules can easily diffuse into/across the skin. Hyaluronic acid polymer at different ratios (5-60 %) was used to prepare microneedle arrays (100 needles per array) using a micromoulding technique. Characterisation tests were carried out to select the optimum formulation. F11 formula containing 50% w/v hyaluronic acid and 1% v/v Tween 80 formula showed an appropriate needle shape with dimensions of 432 ± 6.4 μm in height and a tip diameter of 9.8 ± 1.3 μm. The microneedle arrays demonstrated a suitable mechanical strength after applying a force of 32 N per array and an excellent insertion ability both in Parafilm M® and human skin. The in vivo dissolution of microneedles was started rapidly within 5 minutes following the insertion in the skin and completed at 1 hour. Ex vivo permeation study using human skin has shown a significant improvement in LT-4 sodium delivery across the skin compared to control preparations (drug solution and microneedle free film). The microneedle array F11 has significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased LT-4 sodium permeation through the skin (cumulative permeated amount of 32 ± 2 μg/cm2) in comparison to the control solution (cumulative permeated amount of 0.7 ± 0.07 μg/cm2) and the microneedle free film (cumulative permeated amount of 0.1 ± 0.02 μg/cm2) over 7 hours. The findings from the irritation test revealed that mild erythema was produced from the application of microneedle arrays which disappeared within 24 hours. Accordingly, dissolving hyaluronic acid microneedles could be a feasible and effective approach to delivering LT-4 sodium transdermally without causing significant skin damage.

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Dissolving undercut microneedle arrays for multicomponent cutaneous vaccination.

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