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  • Review Article
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Microneedle biomedical devices

Nature Reviews Bioengineering volume 2, pages 324–342 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Microneedle (MN) technologies have gained interest for biomedical applications, ranging from drug delivery to sensing and tissue sampling in skin and internal organs. The microscale feature of MN systems allows the accommodation of therapeutics from small drugs to macromolecule biologics and even living cells. Additionally, it permits body fluid extraction when inserted into tissues. The integration of MNs with other technologies, such as stimuli-responsive materials, smart electronics and wearables, facilitates precision drug delivery, dynamic monitoring and closed-loop theranostic functions. In this Review, we discuss MN materials, structures and engineering approaches, focusing on the integration of MNs with biomedical devices. Finally, we provide a survey on clinical applications of MNs and discuss opportunities and challenges for the translation and commercialization of MNs as biomedical devices.

Key points

  • Microneedles allow on-demand and intelligent control of drug delivery and biofluid extraction by integrating innovative biotechnologies, rational material engineering and structural designs.

  • Microneedles can be delivered to specific targets and overcome barriers of diverse tissues beyond the skin, augmenting the therapeutic efficacy of treatments.

  • Extraction, detection and real-time measurement of biomarkers by microneedle-based biosensors can provide personalized and precise health-care monitoring as an integral part of a closed-loop theranostics system.

  • Scale-up, cost-effective and sterilized fabrication, consistent performance, and regulatory guidance should be considered before the translation of microneedle-based technologies.

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Fig. 1: Design of MN-based technologies at different scales.
Fig. 2: MN devices in the integration of wearables.
Fig. 3: Different strategies to develop MNs for closed-loop theranostics.
Fig. 4: Clinical translation of MNs.

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Acknowledgements

C.X. acknowledges support by Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Grant (7020029) from City University of Hong Kong, General Research Fund (CityU11200820, CityU11202222, CityU11100323) and Collaborative Research Fund (C5044-21G) from the Research Grants Council (RGC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region China, and the Mainland/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme sponsored by the RGC Hong Kong and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (N_CityU118/20). Z.G. acknowledges support by Zhejiang Province “Kunpeng Action” Plan, National Natural Science Foundation of China (52233013) and National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFA0909900).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Mengjia Zheng & Chenjie Xu

  2. National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems of Zhejiang Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Tao Sheng, Jicheng Yu & Zhen Gu

  3. Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China

    Jicheng Yu & Zhen Gu

  4. Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, Jinhua, China

    Jicheng Yu & Zhen Gu

  5. Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Jicheng Yu & Zhen Gu

  6. MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Zhen Gu

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All authors analysed the data, created figures and contributed to drafting, revising and reviewing the manuscript.

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Z.G. is co-founder of Zenomics, ZCapsule and μZen Pharma. C.X. is co-founder of Greater Bay Biotechnology. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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Zheng, M., Sheng, T., Yu, J. et al. Microneedle biomedical devices. Nat Rev Bioeng 2, 324–342 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-023-00141-6

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