Microneedles for transdermal delivery of insulin

Insulin medication is currently effective in the treatment of type I diabetes. Due to the poor absorption or enzymatic degradation of insulin in the gastrointestinal tract and liver, the subcutaneous route has been so far the preferred method of insulin administration. However, this route is associated with poor patient compliance due to the pain caused by injection and risk of inflammation and infection. Microneedles (MNs) have been widely studied for transdermal delivery of insulin as minimally invasive and painless in human subjects. This review article focuses on recent and emerging progress in MN technologies utilized for the transdermal delivery of insulin. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.