Investigation of Polymer Microneedles in the Delivery of Protein Drugs
Open Access
- Author:
- Kauffman, David Maxwell
- Area of Honors:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Yong Wang, Thesis Supervisor
Jian Yang, Thesis Honors Advisor
Dr. Pak Kin Wong, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Microneedles
Proteins
Drug Delivery - Abstract:
- Proteins are essential biomolecules that determine various biological functions in the body. Therefore, proteins may be used as therapeutic agents in the treatment of various human diseases. However, similar to many traditional drugs, without an appropriate delivery method, it would be challenging to achieve a high therapeutic effect with minimal side effects. Drug delivery methods often suffer from problems ranging from pain and patient noncompliance to reduced drug bioactivity. Microneedle patches represent a method to combine the efficacy of hypodermic needle drug delivery and the ease of oral delivery. However, current microneedle strategies cannot fulfill the requirement of sustained drug release. Thus, the long-term goal of this project is to develop aptamer-functionalized polymer microneedle patches for protein delivery. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was used as a model to illustrate the functionality of the polymer microneedles. A series of in-vitro assessments were performed to determine the mechanical strength, insertion ability, encapsulation efficiency, and bioactivity of the VEGF contained within the microneedles. In-vivo assessments of VEGF-loaded microneedles were performed using live mice. VEGF microneedles were successfully manufactured and resulted in the delivery of a therapeutic dose of VEGF in-vitro. Continuing research efforts aim to successfully deliver VEGF in-vivo. Additional on-going studies are focused on the improvement of the delivery modality of VEGF to enable sustained release over a defined period of time using aptamer technology. The ability to deliver bioactive proteins through the skin may provide revolutionary new treatments for a range of different pathologies.