Improved pharmacodynamics of epidermal growth factor via microneedles-based self-powered transcutaneous electrical stimulation

Yuan Yang, Ruizeng Luo, Shengyu Chao, Jiangtao Xue, Dongjie Jiang, Yun Hao Feng, Xin Dong Guo, Dan Luo (), Jiaping Zhang (), Zhou Li () and Zhong Lin Wang
Additional contact information
Yuan Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ruizeng Luo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shengyu Chao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jiangtao Xue: Beijing Institute of Technology
Dongjie Jiang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yun Hao Feng: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Xin Dong Guo: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Dan Luo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jiaping Zhang: Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University)
Zhou Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhong Lin Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Epidermal growth factor is an excellent drug for promoting wound healing; however, its conventional administration strategies are associated with pharmacodynamic challenges, such as low transdermal permeability, reduction, and receptor desensitization. Here, we develop a microneedle-based self-powered transcutaneous electrical stimulation system (mn-STESS) by integrating a sliding free-standing triboelectric nanogenerator with a microneedle patch to achieve improved epidermal growth factor pharmacodynamics. We show that the mn-STESS facilitates drug penetration and utilization by using microneedles to pierce the stratum corneum. More importantly, we find that it converts the mechanical energy of finger sliding into electricity and mediates transcutaneous electrical stimulation through microneedles. We demonstrate that the electrical stimulation applied by mn-STESS acts as an “adjuvant” that suppresses the reduction of epidermal growth factor by glutathione and upregulates its receptor expression in keratinocyte cells, successfully compensating for receptor desensitization. Collectively, this work highlights the promise of self-powered electrical adjuvants in improving drug pharmacodynamics, creating combinatorial therapeutic strategies for traditional drugs.

Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-34716-5 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-34716-5

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34716-5

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().