1. J Membr Biol. 2010 Jul;236(1):117-25. Epub 2010 Jul 22.

Hollow microneedle arrays for intradermal drug delivery and DNA electroporation.

Daugimont L, Baron N, Vandermeulen G, Pavselj N, Miklavcic D, Jullien MC,
Cabodevila G, Mir LM, Préat V.

Louvain Drug Research Institute, Unité de pharmacie galénique, Université
Catholique de Louvain, Avenue E. Mounier 73/20, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.

The association of microneedles with electric pulses causing electroporation
could result in an efficient and less painful delivery of drugs and DNA into the 
skin. Hollow conductive microneedles were used for (1) needle-free intradermal
injection and (2) electric pulse application in order to achieve electric field
in the superficial layers of the skin sufficient for electroporation. Microneedle
array was used in combination with a vibratory inserter to disrupt the stratum
corneum, thus piercing the skin. Effective injection of proteins into the skin
was achieved, resulting in an immune response directed to the model antigen
ovalbumin. However, when used both as microneedles to inject and as electrodes to
apply the electric pulses, the setup showed several limitations for DNA
electrotransfer. This could be due to the distribution of the electric field in
the skin as shown by numerical calculations and/or the low dose of DNA injected. 
Further investigation of these parameters is needed in order to optimize
minimally invasive DNA electrotransfer in the skin.


PMID: 20652559 [PubMed - in process]