Drug-Delivery System Based on Salmon DNA Nano- and Micro-Scale Structures

Abstract

Microneedles, fabricated by nano-moulding technology show great promise in the field of drug delivery by enabling the painless self-administration of drugs in a patient-friendly manner. In this study, double-stranded salmon DNA (SDNA) was used as both a drug-delivery vehicle and structural material with a microneedle system. SDNA is non-toxic and demonstrates good mechanical robustness, mouldability, biocompatibility, bio-absorbability, and binding affinity with drug molecules for bio-functional applications. Benign fabrication conditions to protect temperature-sensitive biomolecules are used to produce SDNA structures of various sizes with a high aspect ratio (4: 1). Unlike existing dissolving microneedle structure materials, the special binding characteristics of doxorubicin hydrochloride, anti-cancer drug molecules, and SDNA demonstrate the stability of drug-molecule encapsulation via UV-absorption and photoluminescence analyses. Based on COMSOL simulation and in vitro analysis of the stratum corneum of porcine skin, the mechanical functionality of SDNA microneedles was evaluated in vitro by penetrating the stratum corneum of porcine skin. The SDNA microneedle dissolved and drug permeation was assessed using rhodamine, a drug surrogate. Owing to its many beneficial characteristics, we anticipate that the SDNA microneedle platform will serve as an effective alternative for drug delivery.