Dissolving Microneedles for Psoriasis: An Intradermal Drug-Exposure Framework for Formulation Design and Clinical Translation

Despite increasing interest in dissolving microneedles (DMNs) for psoriasis therapy, current evaluations often emphasize device performance or therapeutic outcomes rather than drug exposure within target tissues. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease in which achieving sufficient and sustained local drug concentrations remains challenging because of pathological barrier alterations and limitations of conventional topical delivery. DMNs provide a promising minimally invasive approach by enabling direct deposition of therapeutic agents into skin compartments beyond the stratum corneum. This review proposes an exposure-guided framework for evaluating psoriasis-specific DMNs by integrating formulation design, device characteristics, intradermal drug exposure, and therapeutic response. The framework is based on three interconnected dimensions: amount, location, and residence time, which describe the quantity of drug delivered into skin, its spatial distribution within target compartments, and the persistence of local exposure. Current evidence regarding polymer selection, drug-loading strategies, microneedle geometry, and manufacturing processes is critically discussed according to their influence on these exposure-related parameters. Existing studies demonstrate that DMN design strategies can improve drug delivery and therapeutic outcomes; however, quantitative characterization of tissue-specific drug deposition, spatial distribution, and concentration–time profiles remains limited. The proposed framework provides a systematic approach to connect DMN formulation and device optimization with intradermal exposure, local pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationships, and clinical translation. Future development of psoriasis-oriented DMNs should incorporate standardized exposure assessment, mechanistic PK/PD evaluation, and human-relevant validation to support rational dose selection and clinical application.