Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Hydrogel-Based Microneedles for Metformin Release

Sharma, Manoj and Kap, Özlem and Abdelmohsen, Hend and Ashton, Mark and Harper, Garry and Firlak, Melike and Aaltonen, Jasmine and Bolland, Kerry and Bragg, Ryan and Deeley, Sarah and Francis, Ella and Kazi, Nahin and Mapley, Bethany and Oikonomou, Vasileios and Aljohani, Amal Dhaifallah and Cheneler, David and Kılıç, Volkan and Horzum, Nesrin and Hardy, John (2023) Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Hydrogel-Based Microneedles for Metformin Release. Global Challenges, 7 (8): 2300002. p. 2300002. ISSN 2056-6646

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Abstract

The release of metformin, a drug used in the treatment of cancer and diabetes, from poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), pHEMA, hydrogel-based microneedle patches is demonstrated in vitro. Tuning the composition of the pHEMA hydrogels enables preparation of robust microneedle patches with mechanical properties such that they would penetrate skin (insertion force of a single microneedle to be ≈40 N). Swelling experiments conducted at 20, 35, and 60 °C show temperature-dependent degrees of swelling and diffusion kinetics. Drug release from the pHEMA hydrogel-based microneedles is fitted to various models (e.g., zero order, first order, second order). Such pHEMA microneedles have potential application for transdermal delivery of metformin for the treatment of aging, cancer, diabetes, etc.