title: Dissolvable microneedle arrays for intradermal delivery of biologics: fabrication and application.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Design and evaluate a new micro-machining based approach for fabricating dissolvable microneedle arrays (MNAs) with diverse geometries and from different materials for dry delivery to skin microenvironments. The aims are to describe the new fabrication method, to evaluate geometric and material capability as well as reproducibility of the method, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of fabricated MNAs in delivering bioactive molecules.
  
  
  METHODS
  Precise master molds were created using micromilling. Micromolding was used to create elastomer production molds from master molds. The dissolvable MNAs were then fabricated using the spin-casting method. Fabricated MNAs with different geometries were evaluated for reproducibility. MNAs from different materials were fabricated to show material capability. MNAs with embedded bioactive components were tested for functionality on human and mice skin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MNAs with different geometries and from carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and maltodextrin were created reproducibly using our method. MNAs successfully pierce the skin, precisely deliver their bioactive cargo to skin and induce specific immunity in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that the new fabrication approach enables creating dissolvable MNAs with diverse geometries and from different materials reproducibly. We also demonstrated the application of MNAs for precise and specific delivery of biomolecules to skin microenvironments in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Bekir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bediz
authors.forename: Emrullah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khilwani
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.forename: Geza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erdos
authors.forename: Louis D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Falo
authors.forename: O Burak
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Ozdoganlar
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008845:Microinjections / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009339:Needles; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products
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