NIR Laser-Triggered Microneedle-Based Liquid Band-Aid for Wound Care

Microneedles (MNs) have attracted widespread scientific and industrial interest in the past decade as an efficient, painless, low-cost, and relatively safe transdermal drug delivery device. However, their drawbacks such as insufficient dose accuracy and limited penetration depth may limit the clinical applications. Here, a light-controlled liquid band-aid based on MNs is developed for antibacterial applications. Metal-organic framework-derived peroxidase-like nanozyme loaded in MNs can not only convert light energy into heat to enhance drug permeation but also decompose hydrogen peroxide into hydroxyl radicals for antibacteria. The heat generated by the nanozyme can facilitate MNs to melt and form a liquid band-aid, which is beneficial to insulate the wound from the surrounding bacterial environment. These studies in a Staphylococcus aureus-infected mice model also prove that this laser-triggered liquid band-aid can efficiently reduce skin inflammation and promote wound healing. Together, these results demonstrate that the rational design of MNs can enhance antibacterial and wound healing efficiency.

Automated summary

This study introduces a new light-controlled liquid band-aid based on microneedles (MNs) loaded with metal-organic framework-derived peroxidase-like nanozyme for antibacterial applications. This innovative approach not only enhances drug permeation through heat conversion from light energy but also decomposes hydrogen peroxide for antibacterial purposes. The heat generated by the nanozyme facilitates the formation of a liquid band-aid, effectively reducing skin inflammation and promoting wound healing in a Staphylococcus aureus-infected mice model.