Dissolving microneedles for cellulitis: a systematic review

Abstract

Dissolving microneedles (DMNs) have attracted significant interest due to their superior physicochemical properties, including enhanced skin penetration, improved bioavailability, and reduced toxicity compared to conventional drug delivery systems. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of antibacterial dissolving microneedles as a treatment for cellulitis, which represents a prevalent skin infection. This review was conducted and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A complete database search of Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus was conducted without any time limitations for publication dates. The search conducted on 8 September 2024 produced 474 records. The analysis included 18 relevant studies after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings indicate that dissolving microneedles deliver better therapeutic results than conventional treatments thus establishing them as a promising minimally invasive method for treating cellulitis and other skin infections.