Chemical Engineering Seminar

Many tissue barriers that limit access to the body exist on the micron length scale. We are therefore developing microneedle technologies that selectively cross these barriers in a minimally invasive way to improve drug delivery and other medical applications. In this presentation, we will discuss the development of microneedle patches to simplify vaccination, as exemplified in clinical trials of influenza vaccination and measles/rubella vaccination; adaptation of microneedles to serve as electrodes for an ultra-low-cost method of electroporation using a piezoelectric device for nucleic acid vaccine delivery; incorporation of microneedles into millimeter-scale particles called STAR particles that enable increased drug delivery to skin over large areas for dermatological applications; use of microneedles "in reverse" to collect interstitial fluid from the skin as a novel source of biomarkers; and development of hollow microneedles for targeted drug delivery to the eye that forms the basis for an FDA-approved product to treat ocular inflammation.