Multidrug dissolvable microneedle patch for the treatment of recurrent oral ulcer

Recurrent oral ulcer is a painful oral mucosal disorder that affects 20%of the world’s population.The lack of a radical cure due to its unknown underlying cause calls for innovative symptomatic treatments.This work reports a hyaluronic acid-based dissolvablemicroneedle patch(ROUMNpatch,short for recurrent oral ulcer microneedle)loaded with dexamethasone acetate,vitamin C and tetracaine hydrochloride for the treatment of recurrent oral ulcers.The ROUMN patch shows enhancement in both the anti-inflammatory effect elicited by dexamethasone and the pro-proliferation effect of vitamin C.In vitro experiments show that ROUMN has a higher efficiency in suppressing lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced interleukin-6(IL-6)expression than dexamethasone alone.Cell proliferation and migrationwere also significantly promoted byROUMNcompared to vitamin C alone.The healing-promoting effect of ROUMN was also verified in vivo using an acetic acid-cauterized oral ulcer model in rats.ROUMN as a treatment accelerated the healing process of oral ulcers,shortening the total healing time to 5 days compared with the 7 days required by treatment using watermelon frost,a commonly used over-the-counter(OTC)drug for oral ulcers.The rapid dissolution of the hyaluronic acid-based microneedles and the superior healing-promoting effect of the drug combination could lead to a broad application prospect of the ROUMN patch in the treatment of recurrent oral ulcers.

Micro/nanodevices for assessment and treatment in stomatology and ophthalmology

Micro/nanodevices have been widely applied for the real-time monitoring of intracellular activities and the delivery of exogenous substances in the past few years.This review focuses on miniaturized micro/nanodevices for assessment and treatment in stomatology and ophthalmology.We first summarize the recent progress in this field by examining the available materials and fabrication techniques,device design principles,mechanisms,and biosafety aspects of micro/nanodevices.Following a discussion of biochemical sensing technology from the cellular level to the tissue level for disease assessment,we then summarize the use of microneedles and other micro/nanodevices in the treatment of oral and ocular diseases and conditions,including oral cancer,eye wrinkles,keratitis,and infections.Along with the identified key challenges,this review concludes with future directions as a small fraction of vast opportunities,calling for joint efforts between clinicians and engineers with diverse backgrounds to help facilitate the rapid development of this burgeoning field in stomatology and ophthalmology.