The pH-responsive microneedles based on dynamic phenyl borate ester bonds and electrostatic interaction for the treatment of gouty arthritis

The pH-responsive microneedles based on dynamic phenyl borate ester bonds and electrostatic interaction for the treatment of gouty arthritis Full article

Journal

Applied Materials Today
ISSN: 2352-9407

Output data

Year: 2025, Volume: 47, Article number : 102980, Pages count : DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102980

Authors

Yi Hong ¹ , Vatsadze Sergey Z. ^2,3 , Yuan Xunchun ¹ , Ouyang Chenguang ¹ , Wang Yu ¹ , Zhang Lei ⁴ , Hu Jian ⁵ , Feng Jingyi ⁵ , Chen Xinhui ⁶ , Yu Haojie ^1,3 , Wang Li ^1,3

Affiliations

1	State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
2	N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 47 Leninsky Prosp, 119991 Moscow, Russia
3	Zhejiang-Russia Joint Laboratory of Photo-Electron-Megnetic Functional Materials, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
4	Department of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
5	The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, PR China
6	MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Center for Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China

Gout has gradually become the second-largest metabolic disease, which requires long-term anti-inflammatory and uric acid-lowering treatment. Because of the characteristics of recurrent gout, its management and treatment costs are very high. Traditional administration methods (oral or injection) require patients to take drugs frequently, which leads to uncontrollable drug concentration in the blood and may cause a series of side effects. Therefore, a safe and convenient way of administration is significant for the long-term self-management of gout patients. Compared with the normal physiological environment, the pH value at the focus of gouty arthritis is acidic, so we can design pH-responsive MNs according to this difference to realize the intelligent release of drugs. Here, pH-responsive microneedles (MNs) based on 4-carboxy-3-fluorophenylboronic acid modification of hydroxypropyl chitosan were prepared, which were loaded with anti-inflammatory drugs colchicine (Col) and urate-lowering drugs urate oxidase (UOX) for long-term self-management of gout patients. Based on dynamic phenyl borate ester bonds and electrostatic interactions, it has been proved that the MNs can respond to the weak acid environment at the attack site of gouty arthritis and release drugs intelligently, which can relieve gout in two ways: anti-inflammation and uric acid reduction. The pH-responsive MNs can achieve 48 hours of transdermal drug release. Compared with the normal pH environment, the MNs increased the transdermal release rate of Col to 2.67 times and UOX to 1.66 times in the slightly acidic environment. The pH-responsive MNs achieved rapid swelling reduction within 12 hours in the gout rat model. Generally speaking, the swellable pH-responsive MNs loaded with Col and UOX have great potential in treating gouty arthritis.

Yi H. , Vatsadze S.Z. , Yuan X. , Ouyang C. , Wang Y. , Zhang L. , Hu J. , Feng J. , Chen X. , Yu H. , Wang L.
The pH-responsive microneedles based on dynamic phenyl borate ester bonds and electrostatic interaction for the treatment of gouty arthritis
Applied Materials Today. 2025. V.47. 102980 . DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102980 WOS Scopus OpenAlex

Submitted:	Jul 20, 2025
Published online:	Nov 1, 2025

Web of science:	WOS:001612645300001
Scopus:	2-s2.0-105022200866
OpenAlex:	W4415756188

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