Hyaluronic acid-based osmolality-responsive immediate-release microneedles co-loading baicalein and astaxanthin for oral ulcer therapy.
4 affiliations
- 1Comprehensive Breast Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
- 2National Demonstration Center for Experimental Light Chemistry Engineering Education, Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Papermaking Technology and Specialty Paper Development, College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, China.
- 3School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases of Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
- 4Academy of Food Interdisciplinary Science, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Qinggongyuan1, Ganjingzi District, Dalian, 116034, China.
Abstract
Oral ulcers, a prevalent mucosal disorder, are clinically managed by topical corticosteroids and immunosuppressants to alleviate symptoms. However, conventional therapies suffer from suboptimal drug bioavailability, inconsistent efficacy, and potential adverse effects. To address these limitations, using natural carbohydrate polymer hyaluronic acid (HA) with excellent biocompatibility, as the main substrate, we constructed the osmolality-responsive immediate-release microneedles (MNs) platform (GA@BA&Ast MNs) co-loading baicalein (BA) and astaxanthin (Ast) for oral ulcer therapy, which effectively addresses traditional treatment bottlenecks via responsive immediate-release and efficient absorption. The platform's core innovation lies in its dynamically controllable release mechanism, which is triggered specifically by the oral microenvironment. Its osmolality-responsive mechanism, relying on HA-Ca²⁺ dynamic coordination network dissociation in oral fluid, enables rapid disintegration and delivery speed superior to conventional microneedles, with good mechanical strength for irritation-free mucosal penetration and 85.3%/87.1% cumulative BA/Ast release within 20 min. In the rat model, GA@BA&Ast MNs significantly accelerated ulcer healing, increased collagen deposition and VEGF expression by 41.22% and 47.05%, and exerted complementary antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and ROS scavenging effects by promoting epithelial migration and angiogenesis. This responsive MNs platform overcomes the limitations of hydrophobic drug delivery, providing a promising universal strategy for localized orofacial diseases, such as oral ulcers, oral fibrosis, and oral cancer.
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BibTeX
@article{yang2026hyaluronic,
title = {{Hyaluronic acid-based osmolality-responsive immediate-release microneedles co-loading baicalein and astaxanthin for oral ulcer therapy.}},
author = {Jinfan Yang and Kaihong Shi and Jiachen Wang and Huimin Liu and Yang Zhang and Xiaoyu Guang and Siyuan Wang and Wenxi Lei and Yuxiao Wang and Mingqian Tan and Xiaobin Ma and Hao Wu},
journal = {Materials today. Bio},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103702},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898439},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hyaluronic acid-based osmolality-responsive immediate-release microneedles co-loading baicalein and astaxanthin for oral ulcer therapy.
AU - Jinfan Yang
AU - Kaihong Shi
AU - Jiachen Wang
AU - Huimin Liu
AU - Yang Zhang
AU - Xiaoyu Guang
AU - Siyuan Wang
AU - Wenxi Lei
AU - Yuxiao Wang
AU - Mingqian Tan
AU - Xiaobin Ma
AU - Hao Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Materials today. Bio
DO - 10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103702
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898439
AB - Oral ulcers, a prevalent mucosal disorder, are clinically managed by topical corticosteroids and immunosuppressants to alleviate symptoms. However, conventional therapies suffer from suboptimal drug bioavailability, inconsistent efficacy, and potential adverse effects. To address these limitations, using natural carbohydrate polymer hyaluronic acid (HA) with excellent biocompatibility, as the main substrate, we constructed the osmolality-responsive immediate-release microneedles (MNs) platform (GA@BA&Ast MNs) co-loading baicalein (BA) and astaxanthin (Ast) for oral ulcer therapy, which effectively addresses traditional treatment bottlenecks via responsive immediate-release and efficient absorption. The platform's core innovation lies in its dynamically controllable release mechanism, which is triggered specifically by the oral microenvironment. Its osmolality-responsive mechanism, relying on HA-Ca²⁺ dynamic coordination network dissociation in oral fluid, enables rapid disintegration and delivery speed superior to conventional microneedles, with good mechanical strength for irritation-free mucosal penetration and 85.3%/87.1% cumulative BA/Ast release within 20 min. In the rat model, GA@BA&Ast MNs significantly accelerated ulcer healing, increased collagen deposition and VEGF expression by 41.22% and 47.05%, and exerted complementary antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and ROS scavenging effects by promoting epithelial migration and angiogenesis. This responsive MNs platform overcomes the limitations of hydrophobic drug delivery, providing a promising universal strategy for localized orofacial diseases, such as oral ulcers, oral fibrosis, and oral cancer.
SN - 2590-0064
ER -