| Affiliation: | 1. Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care (iit@CRIB), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Naples, 80125 Italy;2. Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China;3. School of Chemistry, Damghan University, Damghan, 36716-41167 Iran;4. State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710000 P. R. China;5. Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 USA California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 USA;6. The Graduate School, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912 USA;7. Institute for Polymers, Composites, and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council (CNR), Naples, 80125 Italy |
| Abstract: | Skin infections caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi are difficult to treat by conventional topical administration because of poor drug penetration across the stratum corneum. This results in low bioavailability of drugs to the infection site, as well as the lack of prolonged release. Emerging antimicrobial transdermal and ocular microneedle patches have become promising medical devices for the delivery of various antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral therapeutics. In the present review, skin anatomy and its barriers along with skin infection are discussed. Potential strategies for designing antimicrobial microneedles and their targeted therapy are outlined. Finally, biosensing microneedle patches associated with personalized drug therapy and selective toxicity toward specific microbial species are discussed. |
