A Hydrogel/Carbon‐Nanotube Needle‐Free Device for Electrostimulated Skin Drug Delivery

• Published in: Chemphyschem Vol. 18; no. 19; pp. 2715 - 2723
• Main Authors: Guillet, Jean‐François, Flahaut, Emmanuel, Golzio, Muriel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 06-10-2017; Wiley-VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Biocompatibility; Blood vessels; Carbon; Carbon - chemistry; Carbon fiber reinforced plastics; carbon nanotubes; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Drug Delivery Systems; Electric Stimulation; Electrical resistivity; electrodes; Engineering Sciences; Epidermis; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - chemistry; Hydrogels; Insulin; Life Sciences; Materials; Mechanical properties; Nanocomposites; Nanotubes; Nanotubes - chemistry; Needles; Nicotine; Particle Size; Permeability; Pharmaceutical sciences; Pharmacology; Plasmids; Skin - chemistry; skin electroporation; Surface Properties; Transdermal medication; electrodes; hydrogels; carbon nanotubes; skin electroporation; nanocomposites; Carbon nanotubes; Electroporation; Nanocomposites; Biomedical application
• ISSN: 1439-4235; 1439-7641
• DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201700517

The permeability of skin allows passive diffusion across the epidermis to reach blood vessels but this is possible only for small molecules such as nicotine. In order to achieve transdermal delivery of large molecules such as insulin or plasmid DNA, permeability of the skin and mainly the permeability of the stratum corneum skin layer has to be increased. Moreover, alternative routes that avoid the use of needles will improve the quality of life of patients. A method known as electropermeabilisation has been shown to increase skin permeability. Herein, we report the fabrication of an innovative hydrogel made of a nanocomposite material. This nanocomposite device aims to permeabilise the skin and deliver drug molecules at the same time. It includes a biocompatible polymer matrix (hydrogel) and double‐walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) in order to bring electrical conductivity and improve mechanical properties. Carbon nanotubes and especially DWCNTs are ideal candidates, combining high electrical conductivity with a very high specific surface area together with a good biocompatibility when included into a material. The preparation and characterization of the nanocomposite hydrogel as well as first results of electrostimulated transdermal delivery using an ex vivo mouse skin model are presented.
That′s swell: An agarose‐hydrogel/carbon‐nanotube material is used as device for electrostimulated drug delivery through skin. It is found that large molecules (4 kDa) can be delivered, with clear evidence of the crossing of the stratum corneum skin layer.