Recent Progress on Polysaccharide-Based Microneedles for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Recent advances in microneedle technology have enabled the development of innovative transdermal delivery systems. Among them, microneedles fabricated from natural polysaccharides have emerged as particularly promising due to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, intrinsic bioactivity, and environmental sustainability. This review provides a critical overview of recent progress in polysaccharide-based microneedles, focusing on the physicochemical properties and biomedical functionalities of chitosan, hyaluronic acid, alginate, dextran, and plant-derived biopolymers. Fabrication methods, structural advantages, and multifunctional attributes, such as immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects, are systematically discussed. Key biomedical applications, including cancer therapy, vaccination, chronic disease management, and wound healing, are highlighted alongside recent developments in clinical trials and patents. The review further elucidates structure–property–function relationships and explores strategies to support clinical translation, with emphasis on manufacturability, scalability, and regulatory considerations. To address technical barriers, such as mechanical robustness and industrial-scale fabrication, actionable solutions including high-throughput micromolding and quality-by-design approaches are proposed. Finally, the review underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration across materials science, pharmaceutics, and clinical medicine to accelerate translation into practical therapies. By bridging fundamental polymer insights with translational strategies, this work aims to serve as a valuable reference for advancing next-generation microneedle systems for biomedical applications.