Transdermal delivery of timolol maleate using hydrogel microneedles for the treatment of infantile haemangiomas

  • Mater Today Bio. 2025 Apr 12:32:101752. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101752.
Xiaokun Lin  1  2  3 ,  Tongshuai Kuang  1  2  3 ,  Lei Wang  2  4 ,  Wei Cai  1 ,  Linxing Yang  3 ,  Changrong Guo  3 ,  Xinyang Pan  3 ,  Yuanhao Wang  3 ,  Qiang Gao  2 ,  Kaihui Nan  2 ,  Lingli Li  2  3
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China.
  • 2. Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Engineering, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China.
  • 3. State Key Laboratory of Eye Health, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China.
  • 4. The Affiliated Xiangshan Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315700, China.
PMID: 40290897 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101752
Abstract

Infantile haemangioma (IH), the most prevalent vascular tumour in infants, requires early intervention because of the potential complications in critical areas such as the head and face. Current treatments, including topical timolol maleate (TIM), face challenges such as poor compliance, low drug utilisation, and lengthy treatment durations. In this study, we developed a hydrogel microneedle (MN) using photocurable bovine serum albumin methacryloyl (BSAMA) as a carrier for TIM. Our results showed the controlled release of TIM from BSAMA-TIM MNs, with approximately 69 % release ratio within 72 h. In-vivo studies on nude mice demonstrated that BSAMA-TIM-MNs inhibited the growth of haemangioma xenografts. Our TIM-delivering MNs exhibited high therapeutic efficacy, minimal cytotoxicity, and reduced dosing frequency. In conclusion, BSAMA-TIM MNs provide a promising strategy for treating IH.

Keywords
Bovine serum albumin methacryloyl; Hydrogel microneedles; Infantile haemangioma; Timolol maleate; Transdermal drug delivery systems.
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