writer：Zhiyong Zeng1﹒Guohua Jiang1,2,3,*﹒Tianqi Liu1﹒Gao Song1﹒Yanfang Sun4,*﹒Xueya Zhang1﹒Yanting Jing1﹒Mi
keywords：Microneedles, metformin, transdermal delivery, biodegradable, gelatin, hypoglycemic effect
source：期刊
specific source：Bio-Design and Manufacturing
Issue time：2021年

Abstract: Poor patient compliance and pain at injection site caused by subcutaneous injection has brought great inconvenience to diabetic patients. In this work, the methacrylated gelatin hydrogel-forming microneedles integrated with metformin have been developed to adjust blood glucose levels for diabetic rats. Methacrylate gelatin microneedles (GelMA-MNs) with different degree of substitution had successfully prepared by micro-moulding method. The resultant GelMA-MNs shown excellent mechanical property and moisture resistance. Metformin, an anti-diabetic drug, has been further encapsulated into the GelMA-MNs. And its release rate of could be controlled by the three-dimension cross-linked network of microneedles, showing a sustained drug release behaviors in vitro and implying a better therapeutic effect compared with that of subcutaneous injection on diabetic rats. The drug release period could be significantly prolonged by improving cross-link density of GelMA-MNs. The hypoglycemic effect has been evaluated by administering GelMA-MNs for transdermal delivery on diabetic mouse, showing promising benefits for diabetes treatment.