Wang Chang, Zhou Lingyue, Han Zhouxin, He Lingzhi, Yuan Jiao, Zhang Jinqing, Zhu Qin, Wang Shiyu
Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, The Domestic First-class Discipline Construction Project of Chinese Medicine of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410005, China.
Institute of Innovation and Applied Research, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, 300 Bachelor Road, Changsha 410208, China.
Int J Pharm. 2025 May 15;676:125530. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.125530. Epub 2025 Apr 6.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition with high oxidative stress and immune dysregulation. Current therapies are limited by side effects and inefficacy over long-term use, highlighting the need for targeted treatments. This study investigates a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive hydrogel (HP)-dissolving microneedle system, loaded with Momordin Ic, designed for controlled, site-specific release to alleviate psoriasis. We hypothesized that this system could target psoriatic inflammation by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. The Franz diffusion cell assay confirmed that Momordin Ic release was accelerated under elevated ROS conditions, demonstrating the stimuli-responsive nature of the hydrogel microneedles system. An imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model was used to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the Momordin Ic/HP microneedle system. The HP microneedles exhibited controlled Momordin Ic release under elevated ROS, and in vitro studies showed reduced ROS levels and blocked hyperproliferation in HaCaT keratinocytes. In vivo, the microneedle treatment alleviated psoriasis symptoms, reducing erythema, scaling, and epidermal thickness while downregulating inflammatory markers (IL-17A, TNF-α). These findings suggest that Momordin Ic/HP microneedles provide a promising therapeutic approach to treating inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis by combining anti-inflammatory and ROS-scavenging functions.
银屑病是一种慢性炎症性皮肤病，具有高氧化应激和免疫失调。目前的治疗方法受到副作用和长期使用无效的限制，凸显了靶向治疗的必要性。本研究调查了一种负载苦瓜素Ic的活性氧（ROS）响应水凝胶（HP）溶解微针系统，该系统旨在实现可控的、位点特异性释放以缓解银屑病。我们假设该系统可通过减少促炎细胞因子和氧化应激来靶向银屑病炎症。Franz扩散池试验证实，在ROS水平升高的情况下，苦瓜素Ic的释放加速，证明了水凝胶微针系统的刺激响应特性。使用咪喹莫特（IMQ）诱导的银屑病样小鼠模型来评估苦瓜素Ic/HP微针系统的治疗效果。HP微针在ROS水平升高时表现出可控的苦瓜素Ic释放，体外研究表明其降低了ROS水平并阻断了HaCaT角质形成细胞的过度增殖。在体内，微针治疗减轻了银屑病症状，减少了红斑、鳞屑和表皮厚度，同时下调了炎症标志物（IL-17A、TNF-α）。这些发现表明，苦瓜素Ic/HP微针通过结合抗炎和ROS清除功能，为治疗银屑病等炎症性皮肤病提供了一种有前景的治疗方法。
