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New wearable microneedle patches mimic bee stings to provide painless, long-lasting drug delivery \u2013 credit, Professor Wonku Kang from Chung-Ang University<\/p>\n New wearable microneedle patches mimic bee stings to provide painless, long-lasting drug delivery \u2013 credit, Professor Wonku Kang from Chung-Ang University<\/p>\n
The animal kingdom has long been the source of inspiration for all manner for technologies, and now again in South Korea, where a new drug delivery method has been modeled after the bee sting.<\/p>\n
Patients who suffer from chronic conditions often require continuous injections of drugs\u2014often quite painful and inconvenient. To address this, researchers from South Korea have developed new wearable microneedles that behave the way a bee\u2019s stinger does.<\/p>\n
If you remember running to your mother after getting stung in the park, you may recall her pulling out the detached stinger, explaining that it keeps delivering venom even after separating from the bee\u2019s thorax.<\/p>\n
These electrospun web microneedles (EW-MNs) developed at Chung An University, deliver drugs continuously through the skin without causing discomfort. In animal models, the system enhanced drug absorption while ensuring comfort.<\/p>\n
The micron-sized needle system isn\u2019t a totally new technology, but existing products tend to lose their comfort over sustained use, limiting their adoption.<\/p>\n
To fabricate the EW-MNs, the researchers used an electrospinning process (a technique that uses an electrical field to spin very fine polymer fibers) to create a web of nanoscale fibers on metal microneedles. This resulted in a fibrous layer around the microneedle tips which mimic the barbed structure of a bee\u2019s stinger.<\/p>\n
As a result, the microneedles anchor securely to the skin and ensure a steady attachment for continuous drug release. The EW-MNs were then attached to an adhesive tape and a backing layer to form a patch.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnlike traditional rigid microneedles, which can cause irritation during prolonged use, our EW-MNs are soft, breathable, and remain anchored to the skin just like a bee stinger,\u201d explains <\/a>Professor Wonku Kang at the university\u2019s College of Pharmacy.<\/p>\n To test the efficacy of the patch, the team loaded the EW-MNs with rivastigmine (a drug commonly used to treat Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s disease). In animal studies using guinea pigs, the microneedle patches significantly improved the absorption of rivastigmine\u2014releasing over twice the drug and covering a five-fold larger area compared to conventional approaches. Importantly, all this was achieved while maintaining minimum discomfort, and even if any mild skin irritation occurred, it disappeared quickly on removing the patch.<\/p>\n MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Less Invasive Way to Collect Blood Is Inspired by Leeches and Needs No Medical Training<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWith further development, these EW-MNs could revolutionize drug delivery, allowing patients to receive effective long-term treatments without the fear or discomfort of needles!\u201d Professor Kang said excitedly.<\/p>\n The study<\/a> was made available online in Advanced Healthcare Materials on July 31st.<\/p>\n