Drug Delivery: Nano‐Layered Microneedles for Transcutaneous Delivery of Polymer Nanoparticles and Plasmid DNA (Adv. Mater. 43/2010)

A new strategy to create biodegradable drug-loaded coatings on microneedle patches, using a process known as layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly, is reported on p. 4851 by Paula Hammond and coworkers. Water-soluble polymers are adsorbed with oppositely-charged drugs or drug-carrying polymer particles in alternating layers, creating extremely thin coatings loaded with high levels of entrapped drugs. These biodegradable films can be used to deposit DNA or drug-carrier nanoparticles into the skin, representing model drug cargos that could be used for vaccination or other therapeutic drug delivery.