Applying a new patch daily for three days reduced swelling, bacterial load and inflammatory markers linked to acne. Micro-holes caused by the new treatment’s needles disappeared in about five minutes, with no additional signs of irritation or swelling.
Researchers at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School and other Chinese institutions recently developed a novel approach to treat acne.
The innovation is an adhesive with dissolvable microneedles that integrates hollow structures in the form of “bubbles”, designed to transport and release, in a coordinated way, drugs with very different chemical characteristics.
Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease, explains: it involves inflammation, bacterial proliferation and changes in keratinization, which often requires combined therapies. The new system seeks to respond to this complexity by allowing administration directly to the skin affected by hydrophilic (water-soluble) and hydrophobic (fat-soluble) compounds, avoiding, from the outset, exposure associated with oral treatments and their less good side effects.
The device is made from hyaluronic acid and organizes different active ingredients in different regions of the same microneedle. According to the November study in Microsystems & Nanoengineering, this is only possible thanks to the hollow “bubbles” incorporated inside the microneedles: the main body can house, for example, a hydrophilic anti-inflammatory agent, while the walls of the bubble accommodate a hydrophobic antibacterial compound; a third substance, such as a keratolytic agent, can be placed on the base.
Among the ingredients mentioned are salicylic acid, PIONIN and dipotassium glycyrrhizate, with release at different speeds, sequentially.
In animal model tests, researchers induced an acne-like condition in mice by injecting bacteria P. acnes in the ears. THE daily application of the patch for three days reduced swelling, bacterial load and inflammatory markers (pro-inflammatory cytokines). AND the skin recovered much faster: The micro-holes caused by the needles disappeared in about five minutes, with no additional signs of irritation or swelling.
The team responsible for the study emphasizes, however, that it is still necessary to optimize manufacturing to guarantee uniform bubbles.
Acne affects around 800 million people globally.
