Microneedle-based systems are gaining significant attention in cancer therapeutics as a promising alternative to conventional drug delivery methods, primarily due to their capacity for localized, minimally invasive target drug delivery, effectively bypassing metabolism and reducing systemic toxicity. Among these, hydrogel microneedles demonstrate more notable advantages, including biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, and tunable drug release profiles. In this study, a fully biocompatible microneedle patch was developed using a Chitosan/Hyaluronic Acid/Graphene Oxide (CS/HA/GO) composite hydrogel, which was double-crosslinked via thiol-ene "click" chemistry and physical interactions to enhance mechanical strength and control drug delivery. A custom-designed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) negative mold was fabricated using a 3D-printed positive resin mold to ensure structural precision. The resulting dual-crosslinked hydrogel, CSOAL-GOSH/HA, was thoroughly characterized using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Additional evaluations included water sorption analysis, drug loading efficiency, and in vitro release of curcumin—a hydrophobic anticancer agent. Characterization results confirmed successful chemical crosslinking, as indicated by a characteristic FTIR peak at 1646 cm⁻¹. XRD analysis revealed that the polymeric matrix enhanced the bioavailability of curcumin. The CSOAL-GOSH/HA microneedles exhibited favorable swelling behavior (300% at 45 minutes) and a high curcumin loading efficiency (96%). Notably, the incorporation of GO imparted near-infrared (NIR) responsiveness and tunable hydrogel swelling, enabling controlled and on-demand drug release, reaching 76% within 5 hours. This work presents a promising and advanced platform for transdermal drug delivery, offering precise spatiotemporal control and structural consistency.
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Near-infrared-responsive dual cross-linked chitosan/hyaluronic acid/graphene oxide hydrogel microneedles for controlled transdermal curcumin delivery in cancer therapy
Published:
14 November 2025
by MDPI
in The 3rd International Online Conference on Polymer Science
session Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites
Abstract:
Keywords: Chitosan; graphene oxide; controlled drug release; NIR; hydrogel; microneedles; dual cross-linking; click chemistry; TDDS
