3D Printing of Programmable Microneedle Array for Sustained Drug Delivery to the Eye
Abstract
This study addresses two Fiscal Year 2017 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Topic Areas: Sustained-Release Drug Delivery and Diabetes. We aim to develop a novel programmable microneedle array for sustained-release drug delivery to the eye. This device can be used to treat diabetic retinopathy, one of the most common diabetic complications, and many other eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration. Eye disorders and vision loss are costing America nearly $139 billion every year. As of 2014, 1.3 million Americans are blind and that number is estimated to rise to 2.2 million American in 2030. The leading cause of blindness in working-age population is diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause for vision loss among people age 50 and older. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration is 7.7 and 2.1 million, respectively. The numbers are continuously growing due to the aging society and growing diabetic populations. Treatment of a variety of eye diseases requires drug delivery to the eye, which is challenging due to a number of barriers such as tear dilution and fluid circulation in the eye. Eye drops and oral drugs are not very effective because only a small portion of the drug can eventually reach to the eye. Direct injections are usually required to achieve the desired drug concentration in the eye. However, direction injections are very invasive, painful, and associated with a number of side effects. Moreover, repeated injections (e.g., monthly) are often required. It is very inconvenient for patients who have eye diseases to travel to the eye clinic frequently. The frequent visits also cost the healthcare system, including Veterans Health Administration significantly. A less painful, long-lasting, and cost-saving drug delivery device is desired. In this study, we propose to develop a controllable microneedle array with a curved base for long-term drug delivery to the eye. The needles will have a locking feature that helps to attach the microneedle array to the eye without allowing any slippage due to eye movements. The locking feature works by absorbing water from the body to swell and lock it in place. The microneedle array will be made of a material that reacts to light. When exposed to light, the swollen locking feature will shrink to allow for easy removal. A thin drug-loading patch will be attached to the back of the microneedle array. The drug will then diffuse through the microneedle to reach inside of the eye. The microneedles will be fabricated on a cured surface so that the microneedle can penetrate to the eye equally. It is expected that the locking feature on microneedles will provide a controllable way to attach/detach the microneedle array to/from the eye. The microneedle array will be shown to be capable of delivering drugs to the eye for more than 1 month and be less painful. If successful, we can not only reduce the frequency of treatment, but also reduce the cost of drug with a more efficient way of delivery, achieving the same therapeutic effect with less amount of drug. The immediate patient population, including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, that could be impacted by the proposed device is about 10 million in the U.S., which requires 120 million intravitreal injections annually. It is expected that cost saving in terms of drug usage, fewer clinic visits for treatment, better patient compliance, and minimal side effects can be achieved. The new device can also be used to treat different eye diseases as well as different parts of the body.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 29, 2018
- Source ID
- W81XWH1810137
Entities
People
- Kuen-ren Chen
Organizations
- United States Army
- Washington State University