Transdermal Drug Delivery: Microneedles, Their Fabrication and Current Trends in Delivery Methods
M. Ogundele *
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University, P.O.Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
H. K. Okafor
Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, P.M.B. 12003, Lagos, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The past few decades have seen a tremendous growth in the use of microneedles in the transdermal delivery of therapeutics. This is due to the several advantages that microneedles offer in the delivery of compounds. Therapeutics are delivered in a simple, minimally invasive and painless manner. This has led to the employment of different materials such as silicon and polymer in the fabrication of this device. Also, methods have been introduced in the fabrication of microneedles to meet the high demand this technology raises. This review article is meant to give a foundational knowledge about this rapidly evolving tool with detailed emphasis on their fabrication and delivery methods as well as future prospects of microneedles in the medical industry.
Keywords: Stratum corneum, silicon, polymer, hydrogel.