Biodegradable multifunctional hyaluronic acid hydrogel microneedle band-aids for accelerating skin wound healing.

Abstract

Wound healing for various diseases and wounds such as diabetes and burns remains a major biomedical challenge. Conventional monotherapy is ineffective, and the efficacy of drug delivery is limited by the depth of drug penetration. In this study, we develop a novel, multifunctional, dissolvable hyaluronic acid (HA) microneedle patch (MN-LTT). Microneedling is biocompatible and delivers the drug in a painless and non-invasive manner. Lidocaine and thrombin are mixed with HA hydrogel and loaded onto the needle tips of the MN-LTT, which facilitates wound repair by continuously delivering the drug deep into the dermis for rapid analgesia and hemostasis. In addition, the backing layer of the MN-LTT is composed of tetracycline hydrochloride and HA hydrogel, and its excellent antimicrobial properties further accelerate wound healing. In a mouse full-thickness skin wound model, MN-LTT accelerated cell proliferation and granulation tissue growth, reduced inflammatory-factor levels, and restored collagen deposition, resulting in complete wound healing within seven days. Thus, the proposed microneedle delivery system achieved rapid hemostatic, analgesic, and bactericidal effects, providing a safer and more effective strategy for wound healing. These features make the multifunctional HA microneedle patch potentially valuable for clinical applications.