Polyvinyl Alcohol-Coated Polycaprolactone Microneedles as Polymeric Microdevices for Transdermal Antigen Delivery and Immune Activation.
- 1Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, SP, Brazil.
- 2Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09210-580, SP, Brazil.
- 3Department of Biophysics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04021-001, SP, Brazil.
Abstract
Conventional needle-and-syringe vaccination is associated with pain, needle-related anxiety, the need for trained personnel, and logistical challenges related to vaccine distribution and storage. Microneedle (MN) technology has emerged as a minimally invasive strategy for transdermal delivery and as a platform for functional polymeric microdevices. In this study, polycaprolactone (PCL) microneedles coated with hydrophilic polymers were evaluated as a model platform for antigen delivery. Ex vivo assays using porcine ear skin were explored as a preliminary approach to assess antigen transport from polymer-coated PCL microneedles. However, antigen-specific quantification in the receptor compartment was limited by the lack of specificity of absorbance-based measurements in this biological matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that PVA coating partially altered microneedle tip morphology, whereas optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical microscopy confirmed that PVA20%-PCL-MNs maintained the ability to insert into porcine skin and generate visible insertion sites. Mechanical compression testing further showed that polymer-coated PCL-MNs maintained resistance to axial deformation under the tested conditions. PVA20%-PCL-MNs were also non-toxic and maintained high HEK293T cell viability after 24 h. Based on their preserved insertion capacity, mechanical robustness, ability to support DNP-KLH permeation, and preliminary cytocompatibility, PVA20%-PCL-MNs were evaluated in BALB/c mice using a two-dose prime-boost regimen. Although intraperitoneal immunization induced higher IgG levels, transdermal immunization with PVA20%-PCL-MNs promoted booster-dependent antigen-specific IgG responses. IgG2a/IgG1 ratio analysis indicated a predominantly IgG1-biased humoral profile, and splenocytes from mice immunized with PVA20%-PCL-MNs produced detectable levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 after in vitro stimulation. Together, these findings support PVA-coated PCL microneedles as a proof-of-concept polymeric microdevice platform for minimally invasive antigen delivery and immunogenicity assessment.
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BibTeX
@article{teixeira2026polyvinyl,
title = {{Polyvinyl Alcohol-Coated Polycaprolactone Microneedles as Polymeric Microdevices for Transdermal Antigen Delivery and Immune Activation.}},
author = {Aline F Teixeira and Leandro T Kochi and Ana Carola De La Via Reis and Jose E Rojas and Daniele Ribeiro de Araujo and Wendel A Alves and Ana Lucia T O Nascimento},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/polym18192327},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42884958},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Polyvinyl Alcohol-Coated Polycaprolactone Microneedles as Polymeric Microdevices for Transdermal Antigen Delivery and Immune Activation.
AU - Aline F Teixeira
AU - Leandro T Kochi
AU - Ana Carola De La Via Reis
AU - Jose E Rojas
AU - Daniele Ribeiro de Araujo
AU - Wendel A Alves
AU - Ana Lucia T O Nascimento
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18192327
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42884958
AB - Conventional needle-and-syringe vaccination is associated with pain, needle-related anxiety, the need for trained personnel, and logistical challenges related to vaccine distribution and storage. Microneedle (MN) technology has emerged as a minimally invasive strategy for transdermal delivery and as a platform for functional polymeric microdevices. In this study, polycaprolactone (PCL) microneedles coated with hydrophilic polymers were evaluated as a model platform for antigen delivery. Ex vivo assays using porcine ear skin were explored as a preliminary approach to assess antigen transport from polymer-coated PCL microneedles. However, antigen-specific quantification in the receptor compartment was limited by the lack of specificity of absorbance-based measurements in this biological matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that PVA coating partially altered microneedle tip morphology, whereas optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical microscopy confirmed that PVA20%-PCL-MNs maintained the ability to insert into porcine skin and generate visible insertion sites. Mechanical compression testing further showed that polymer-coated PCL-MNs maintained resistance to axial deformation under the tested conditions. PVA20%-PCL-MNs were also non-toxic and maintained high HEK293T cell viability after 24 h. Based on their preserved insertion capacity, mechanical robustness, ability to support DNP-KLH permeation, and preliminary cytocompatibility, PVA20%-PCL-MNs were evaluated in BALB/c mice using a two-dose prime-boost regimen. Although intraperitoneal immunization induced higher IgG levels, transdermal immunization with PVA20%-PCL-MNs promoted booster-dependent antigen-specific IgG responses. IgG2a/IgG1 ratio analysis indicated a predominantly IgG1-biased humoral profile, and splenocytes from mice immunized with PVA20%-PCL-MNs produced detectable levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 after in vitro stimulation. Together, these findings support PVA-coated PCL microneedles as a proof-of-concept polymeric microdevice platform for minimally invasive antigen delivery and immunogenicity assessment.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -