Mechanical properties and immunotherapeutic effects of dissolving microneedles with different drug loadings based on hyaluronic acid

Authors

  • Dazhi Wang School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
  • Meihua Jiang School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
  • Xiaowen Wang School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
  • Chen Wang School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
  • Xiaoyu Ou School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
  • Lei Shang School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China, Suzhou biomedical Research & Development Center, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2805-787X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/

Keywords:

Immunization;, Hyaluronic acid microneedle;, Molecular dynamics simulation;, Diffusion coefficient

Abstract

Improving vaccine immunity and reducing antigen usage are major challenges in the clinical application of vaccines. Microneedles have been proven to be painless, minimally invasive, highly efficient, and have good patient compliance. Compared with traditional transdermal drug delivery, it can effectively deliver a large-molecular-weight drug into the skin, resulting in a corresponding immune response. However, few studies have examined the relationship between microneedle loading dose and immune effects. In this study, the hyaluronic acid (HA) conical and pyramidal dissolving microneedles were prepared by the two-step vacuum drying method, respectively. The model drug ovalbumin (OVA) was added to HA to prepare dissolving microneedles with different loading amounts. The mass ratios of HA to OVA were 5:1, 5:3, and 5:5. The mechanical properties of the dissolving microneedles were characterized using nanoindentation and in vitro puncture studies. The immune effects of the matrix and drug content were studied in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Finally, the diffusion behavior of OVA and the binding mode of HA and OVA in the microneedles were simulated using Materials Studio and Autodocking software. The experimental results showed that the conical microneedles exhibited better mechanical properties. When the mass ratio of HA to OVA was 5:3, the immune effect can be improved by 37.01% compared to subcutaneous injection, and achieved a better immune effect with relatively fewer drugs. This conclusion is consistent with molecular simulations. This study provides theoretical and experimental support for the drug loading and efficacy of microneedles with different drug loadings.

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Author Biographies

  • Dazhi Wang, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China

    contributed equally to this manuscript

  • Meihua Jiang, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China

    contributed equally to this manuscript

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Published

2023-08-28

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How to Cite

Mechanical properties and immunotherapeutic effects of dissolving microneedles with different drug loadings based on hyaluronic acid. (2023). Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 59, 14. https://doi.org/10.1590/