Lancing Drug Reservoirs into Subcutaneous Fat to Combat Obesity and Associated Metabolic Diseases

Abstract

Obesity is a serious epidemic health problem that can cause many other diseases including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Current approaches to combat obesity suffer from low effectiveness and adverse side effects. Here, a new self-administrable and minimally invasive transdermal drug delivery strategy for home-based long-term treatment of obesity and other diseases is developed. Specifically, ultrathin, core-shelled, and lance-shaped polymeric drug reservoirs (micro-lances [MLs]) are readily fabricated by a thermal pressing molding method and totally implanted into subcutaneous fat by lancing through the skin. Using a diet-induced obese mouse model, it is shown that the development of obesity and associated metabolic disorders is effectively inhibited by applying therapeutic core-shelled MLs once every 2 weeks. The outstanding therapeutic effects are attributable to highly localized and biphasic drug release, as well as combination therapy based on browning transformation of white fat and enhanced insulin sensitivity. 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim