Microneedle Enhanced Delivery of Cosmeceutically Relevant Peptides in Human Skin

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101956
• Publication Date: 2014-07-17T18:52:03Z
• Authors: Yousuf H. Mohammed; Miko Yamada; Lynlee L. Lin; Jeffrey E. Grice; Michael S. Roberts; Anthony P. Raphael; Heather A. E. Benson; Tarl W. Prow
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 571; 1300 Biochemistry; Microinjections; Science; 610; Genetics and Molecular Biology; Cosmetic Techniques; Administration, Cutaneous; in-vivo; 1100 Agricultural and Biological Sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Drug Delivery Systems; signal peptides; image analysis; epidermis; Skin Physiological Phenomena; peptide synthesis; Humans; Surgery, Plastic; Skin; Microscopy, Confocal; Confocal laser microscope; Q; Abdominoplasty; Optical Imaging; R; 600; iontophoresis; proteins; MSH Release-Inhibiting Hormone; dermis; drug-delivery; 3. Good health; Multidisciplinary Sciences; 2700 Medicine; fluorescence imgaing; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Medicine; transdermal delivery; Peptides; Oligopeptides; Research Article

Peptides and proteins play an important role in skin health and well-being. They are also found to contribute to skin aging and melanogenesis. Microneedles have been shown to substantially enhance skin penetration and may offer an effective means of peptide delivery enhancement. The aim of this investigation was to assess the influence of microneedles on the skin penetration of peptides using fluorescence imaging to determine skin distribution. In particular the effect of peptide chain length (3, 4, 5 amino acid chain length) on passive and MN facilitated skin penetration was investigated. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to image fluorescence intensity and the area of penetration of fluorescently tagged peptides. Penetration studies were conducted on excised full thickness human skin in Franz type diffusion cells for 1 and 24 hours. A 2 to 22 fold signal improvement in microneedle enhanced delivery of melanostatin, rigin and pal-KTTKS was observed. To our knowledge this is the first description of microneedle enhanced skin permeation studies on these peptides.