Senior Lecturer Queen's University Belfast Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Microneedle (MN) systems represent a novel, minimally invasive approach to drug delivery that can combine the benefits of painless administration with the potential for sustained drug release profiles. These tiny needles can painlessly penetrate the skin to deliver drugs efficiently, bypassing traditional injection routes, as well as the challenges associated with oral treatments. This talk will focus on the latest advancements in MN-mediated delivery of drug nanocrystals, including controlled release and targeted delivery mechanisms that enable continuous drug administration tailored to patient needs, with focus on HIV management and other infectious and metabolic diseases. The talk will demonstrate how microneedles can be combined with drug nanoparticles, allowing for multi-month drug delivery, covering key formulation and translational challenges.
Learning Objectives:
Apply the principles of nanocrystals and microneedles to design long-acting, sustained drug delivery systems
Demonstrate how recent advancements in microneedle-mediated drug delivery can optimize controlled release and targeted therapies
Address key formulation and translational challenges in developing practical, multi-month drug delivery solutions for infectious and metabolic diseases
