Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2024 Nov;21(11):1559-1572. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2024.2351928. Epub 2024 May 9.
Three-Dimensional (3D) microneedles have recently gained significant attention due to their versatility, biocompatibility, enhanced permeation, and predictable behavior. The incorporation of biological agents into these 3D constructs has advanced the traditional microneedle into an effective platform for wide-ranging applications.
This review discusses the current state of microneedle fabrication as well as the developed 3D printed microneedles incorporating labile pharmaceutical agents and biological materials for potential biomedical applications. The mechanical and processing considerations for the preparation of microneedles and the barriers to effective 3D printing of microneedle constructs have additionally been reviewed along with their therapeutic applications and potential for tissue engineering and regenerative applications. Additionally, the regulatory considerations for microneedle approval have been discussed as well as the current clinical trial and patent landscapes.
The fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are evolving at a significant pace with researchers constantly focused on incorporating advanced manufacturing techniques for the development of versatile, complex, and biologically specific platforms. 3D bioprinted microneedles, fabricated using conventional 3D printing techniques, have resultantly provided an alternative to 2D bioscaffolds through the incorporation of biological materials within 3D constructs while providing further mechanical stability, increased bioactive permeation and improved innervation into surrounding tissues. This advancement therefore potentially allows for a more effective biomimetic construct with improved tissue-specific cellular growth for the enhanced treatment of physiological conditions requiring tissue regeneration and replacement.
三维（3D）微针最近因其多功能性、生物相容性、增强的渗透和可预测的性能而受到广泛关注。将生物制剂纳入这些 3D 结构中，使传统的微针发展成为一种广泛应用的有效平台。
本文讨论了微针制造的现状，以及为潜在的生物医学应用而开发的 3D 打印微针，这些微针结合了不稳定的药物制剂和生物材料。还讨论了制备微针的机械和加工考虑因素，以及有效 3D 打印微针结构的障碍，以及它们的治疗应用和在组织工程和再生应用中的潜力。此外，还讨论了微针批准的监管考虑因素，以及当前的临床试验和专利格局。
组织工程和再生医学领域正在以显著的速度发展，研究人员一直专注于结合先进的制造技术，开发多功能、复杂和具有生物特异性的平台。使用传统 3D 打印技术制造的 3D 生物打印微针通过在 3D 结构中纳入生物材料，为 2D 生物支架提供了替代方案，同时提供了更高的机械稳定性、增强的生物活性渗透和改善的周围组织神经支配。因此，这种进步有可能为需要组织再生和替代的生理状况提供更有效的仿生结构，从而改善组织特异性细胞生长。
