Transdermal delivery of Astragalus tomentosus hyaluoleosomes assisted by hollow microneedles for managing rheumatoid arthritis: in-vitro evaluation and biological studies

AIM: To develop and evaluate Astragalus tomentosus (AST)-loaded hyaluoleosomes delivered via hollow microneedles as a novel approach for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. METHODS: drug release. The optimized formulation was intradermally administered using hollow microneedles in antigen-induced arthritis rats. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by measuring inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1, MMP-9), antioxidant markers (HO-1, NRF2, SOD), and histopathological changes. CONCLUSION: AST-loaded hyaluoleosomes delivered via microneedles offer a minimally invasive and effective RA treatment, demonstrating synergistic therapeutic effects.