Design, fabrication, and evaluation of antimicrobial sponge microneedles for the transdermal delivery of insulin.

Transdermal drug delivery systems hold promise, but their effectiveness is often constrained by the skin's barrier. Microneedles (MNs) improve drug permeability by creating micro-channels in the skin, yet they continue to face challenges such as infection risks and safety concerns. To overcome these challenges, a novel antimicrobial sponge MNs (ASMNs@PVP-INS) modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) for insulin (INS) delivery was designed.