The evolution of transdermal drug delivery: from patches to smart microneedle-biosensor systems

Transdermal drug delivery systems offer a novel approach to administering medications through the skin, ensuring controlled and sustainable drug release. This is an important tool because it allows the drugs to bypass the gastrointestinal tract, avoiding any reduced effectiveness due to digestive enzymes. Such systems are widely used to administer painkillers and hormone replacement therapy via patches. Cardiovascular diseases like angina and hypertension can also be treated. One of the most promising advancements in drug delivery systems has been that of microneedles which provides a pain-free method to administer drugs with the same efficacy of injections. This makes them a versatile tool in the medical field. The integration of biosensors adds on to their advantages. Biosensors can monitor various physiological factors and patient responses, allowing continuous observations. Consequently, a lot of valuable data will be collected. Biosensors can also improve safety by ensuring appropriate dosage and detecting any anomalous behaviors. This review looks into these factors and some others in detail.