Analysis of In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Carbohydrate-Based Materials Used for Dissolvable Microneedle Arrays

Purpose Dissolvable microneedle arrays (MNAs) can be used to realize enhanced transdermal and intradermal drug delivery. Dissolvable MNAs are fabricated from biocompatible and water-soluble base polymers, and the biocargo to be delivered is integrated with the base polymer when forming the MNAs. The base polymer is selected to provide mechanical strength, desired dissolution characteristics, and compatibility with the biocargo. However, to satisfy regulatory requirements and be utilized in clinical applications, cytotoxicity of the base polymers should also be thoroughly characterized. This study systematically investigated the cytotoxicity of several important carbohydrate-based base polymers used for production of MNAs, including carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), maltodextrin (MD), trehalose (Treh), glucose (Gluc), and hyaluronic acid (HA).