Toward precision medicine: End-to-end design and construction of integrated microneedle-based theranostic systems

Yiming Qin; Feiyun Cui; Yifei Lu; Peng Yang; Weiming Gou; Zixuan Tang; Shan Lu; H Susan Zhou; Gaoxing Luo; Xiaoyan Lyu; Qing Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.11.020

Toward precision medicine: End-to-end design and construction of integrated microneedle-based theranostic systems

J Control Release. 2024 Nov 20:S0168-3659(24)00765-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.11.020. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yiming Qin¹, Feiyun Cui², Yifei Lu³, Peng Yang³, Weiming Gou³, Zixuan Tang², Shan Lu², H Susan Zhou⁴, Gaoxing Luo⁵, Xiaoyan Lyu⁶, Qing Zhang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Burn Research, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Department of Dermatology and Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
² School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
³ Institute of Burn Research, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, United States.
⁵ Institute of Burn Research, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: logxw@tmmu.edu.cn.
⁶ Department of Dermatology and Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China. Electronic address: lxiaoyan@scu.edu.cn.
⁷ Institute of Burn Research, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: zhangqing09@tmmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 39577466
DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.11.020

Abstract

With the growing demand for precision medicine and advancements in microneedle technology, microneedle-based drug delivery systems have evolved into integrated theranostic platforms. However, the development of these systems is currently limited by the absence of clear conclusions and standardized construction strategies. The end-to-end concept offers an innovative approach to theranostic systems by creating a seamless process that integrates target sampling, sensing, analysis, and on-demand drug delivery. This approach optimizes each step based on data from the others, effectively eliminating the traditional separation between drug delivery and disease monitoring. Furthermore, by incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning, these systems can enhance reliability and efficiency in disease management, paving the way for more personalized and effective healthcare solutions. Based on the concept of end-to-end and recent advancements in theranostic systems, nanomaterials, electronic components, micro-composites, and data science, we propose a modular strategy for constructing integrated microneedle-based theranostic systems by detailing the methods and functions of each critical component, including monitoring, decision-making, and on-demand drug delivery units, though the total number of units might vary depending on the specific application. Notably, decision-making units are emerging trends for fully automatic and seamless systems and featured for integrated microneedle-based theranostic systems, which serve as a bridge of real-time monitoring, on-demand drug delivery, advanced electronic engineering, and data science for personalized disease management and remote medical application. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and prospects of integrated microneedle-based theranostic systems for precision medicine and clinical application.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; End-to-end design and construction; Integrated theranostic system; Microneedle technology; Precision medicine.

Publication types

Review