Enhancing transdermal drug delivery with dissolving microneedles: A review of optimization strategies and challenges

Microneedles represent a novel transdermal drug delivery technology that relies on micron-sized needle structures. This approach effectively penetrates the stratum corneum to achieve localized or systemic therapeutic effects, addressing the pain associated with traditional injections and the low bioavailability issues of oral administration. It addresses the pain associated with traditional injections and the low bioavailability of oral administration. Dissolving microneedles have emerged as a research hotspot in microneedle technology due to their distinctive advantages, including dissolvability, ease of operation, and absence of sharp waste. They have garnered widespread attention and application in the pharmaceutical field as an efficient means to enhance transdermal drug absorption. However, many drugs (particularly poorly soluble ones) require higher transdermal absorption enhancement factors, which traditional dissolving microneedles struggle to meet. In light of this, this paper will compare dissolving microneedles with other types of microneedles, propose optimization strategies for dissolving microneedle technology, discuss existing challenges, and outline future research directions, aiming to provide valuable references for the further development of dissolving microneedles.