Microneedles-mediated drug delivery system for the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces, B, Biointerfaces B, Biointerfaces, 2022-11, Vol.219, p.112818, Article 112818
• Main Authors: Liu, Cheng, Zhao, Zhining, Lv, Hongqian, Yu, Jia, Zhang, Peng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Diagnosis; drug delivery systems; drug therapy; drugs; humans; Melanoma; Microneedles; surgery; survival rate; Treatment
• ISSN: 0927-7765; 1873-4367; 1873-4367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112818

As an emerging novel drug delivery system, microneedles (MNs) have a wide range of applications in the medical field. They can overcome the physiological barriers of the skin, penetrate the outermost skin of the human body, and form hundreds of reversible microchannels to enhance the penetration of drugs and deliver drugs to the diseased sites. So they have great applications in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. Melanoma is a kind of malignant tumor, the survival rate of patients with metastases is extremely low. The traditional methods of surgery and drug treatment for melanoma are often accompanied by large adverse reactions in the whole body, and the drug concentration is low. The use of MNs for transdermal administration can increase the drug concentration, reduce adverse reactions in the treatment process, and have good therapeutic effect on melanoma. This paper introduced various types of MNs and their preparation methods, summarized the diagnosis and various treatment options for melanoma with MNs, focused on the treatment of melanoma with dissolved MNs, and made prospect of MNs-mediated transdermal drug delivery in the treatment of melanoma. [Display omitted] •Microneedles can be used for early diagnosis of melanoma by extracting biomarkers.•Microneedles deliver drugs to the site of melanoma through formed microchannels.•Microneedles combined with drugs have good therapeutic effect on melanoma.•Microneedles-based treatment schemes include monotherapy and combination therapy.