FABRICATION OF DISSOLVING MICRONEEDLES FOR MRNA DELIVERY

Abstract

The messenger RNA (mRNA) is a promising class of therapeutics, but suffers from a lack of options for delivery. The hypodermic needle is the current standard bearer but often elicits aversion from patients, which could lead to poor compliance. In this study, we explore the use of dissolving microneedles (DMN) for the transcutaneous delivery of naked mRNA molecules and posit that it could be a viable and more patient-friendly alternative. We first established the compatibility of several common polymeric excipients for the fabrication of mRNA-loaded DMNs by evaluating the stability of mRNA in situ. Next, mRNA-loaded DMNs were fabricated using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the excipient, and the mechanical strength, mRNA loading, and administration method were optimized for the physical delivery of the mRNA cargo. Finally, a mouse model was employed to validate the feasibility of in vivo transfection using mRNA-loaded DMNs, where luciferase mRNA was administered and successfully generated bioluminescence.