Preparation And Evaluation Of Machanically Tough And Ultra-Swellable Colchicine-Loaded Hydrogle Microneedles

Acute gout arthritis(AGA)remains the fundamental research focus in the whole medical field.Hydrogel microneedles(HMNs)loaded with therapeutic molecules such as colchicine(Col)have been developed as a new strategy for the management of AGA in a minimally invasive manner.However,the incompatible mechanical and swelling properties of HMNs limited the diffusion of the drug from the HMNs system,which remains a challenge for practical use.Here,a mechanically tough(11.53 N/needle)and super-swelling(2708%)hydrogel microneedle(HMNs)composed of a uniform network structure was developed by using a UV-responsive crosslinker though in-situ photopolymerization for percutaneous delivery of Col.Such HMNs and Col loaded HMNs(Col-HMNs)present excellent biocompatibility.Moreover,Col-HMNs present considerable anti-inflammatory effects in vivo through down-regulated inflammatory responses such as related cytokines IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α.These results demonstrated that the mechanically tough and super-swelling HMNs could be a promising tool for effective Col delivery to relieve AGA.