Microneedles

Although electroporation technology is very effective at delivering DNA-based vaccines, the required equipment is bulky, complex and expensive. Now, however, scientists have shown that a converted barbecue lighter is capable of doing the job.

Chronic wounds such as skin ulcers can be difficult to treat, partially because of antibiotic-resistant "biofilms" that form over the affected tissue. A new type of microneedle patch, however, has been shown to deliver medication through such films.

Researchers have developed a new vaccine candidate for dengue virus, a notoriously tricky pathogen to deal with. The new candidate has a number of advantages over existing treatments, with tests on mice using microneedle patches proving promising.

Microneedle patches already show a great deal of promise as a painless alternative to hypodermic needles. A new one, however, could find use as a more effective means of treating serious bacterial infections of the skin.

Nobody likes needles, but they’re a necessary evil. Microneedle patches are emerging as a painless alternative, and now researchers in Hong Kong have developed a new version of the tech that’s made of ice, for easier manufacture and use.

Nobody likes needles – at best they’re an unpleasant means to an important end. Microneedle patches could be a painless alternative, and now researchers have developed a way to use them to detect biomarkers at much lower levels without drawing blood.

Engineers at Rice University have designed a new bandage-like microneedle device that could greatly improve access to malaria testing, with the ability to detect key markers of the disease without drawing any blood at all.

We've heard about microneedle patches before, and we've also heard about cheap, disposable paper biomedical testing kits. Japanese scientists have now combined the two, in a paper-backed microneedle patch that measures blood glucose levels.

We've already heard about so-called "microneedle patches" that are used for the painless and sustained release of medication through the skin. Now, MIT scientists have adapted the technology for the detection of spoiled food.

Stem cells are powerful tools that could one day unlock new frontiers in regenerative medicine. Now, a new study has shown that a certain type of stem cell can be delivered into injured tissues with dissolvable microneedles, to heal wounds.

When it comes to safer, less painful, slow-release alternatives to the hypodermic injection of medications, "microneedle patches" show a lot of promise. Now, MIT scientists have adapted the technology for use on plants.

Back in 2015, we heard about a skin patch that had been used to treat diabetes in mice. It's now come a step closer to use on humans, as it's been successfully trialed on diabetic pigs.