Minimally-invasive and targeted therapeutic cell delivery to the skin using microneedle devices

Summary

Background

Translation of cell therapies to the clinic is accompanied by numerous challenges, including controlled and targeted delivery of the cells to their site of action, without compromising cell viability and functionality.

Objectives

To explore the use of hollow microneedle devices (to date only used for the delivery of drugs and vaccines into the skin and for the extraction of biological fluids) to deliver cells into skin in a minimally-invasive, user-friendly and targeted fashion.

Methods

Melanocyte, keratinocyte and mixed epidermal cell suspensions were passed through various types of microneedles and subsequently delivered into the skin.

Results

Cell viability and functionality is maintained after injection through hollow microneedles with a bore size ≥75 μm. Healthy cells are delivered into skin at clinically relevant depths.

Conclusions

Hollow microneedles provide an innovative and minimally-invasive method for delivering functional cells into the skin. Microneedle cell delivery represents a potential new treatment option for cell therapy approaches including skin re-pigmentation, wound repair, scar and burn remodelling, immune therapies, and cancer vaccines.

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