Layer-By-Layer Coated Microneedle Arrays for Staged Multi-Agent Immune Attack on Melanoma

This work aims to develop a new, facile, and rapidly applied melanoma treatment for post-surgery melanoma patients to prolong or preserve their lives. Micro-scale needle arrays will be used as the drug delivery platform, for a highly controlled transcutaneous delivery of cancer vaccines. Layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte assembly will be used to generate the drug releasing thin film coatings on microneedles.

A microneedle platform for effective gene delivery is designed, with an effective release polymer that assists LbL film construction and implantation upon application in the skin. The DNA and/or RNA therapeutic cargos will be engineered with functional proteins and polymer scaffolds to enhance expression. This application seeks to achieve a staged release of melanoma cancer vaccines in order to activate a robust immune response; through direct insertion of microneedles into the dermis at or near the melanoma tumor site, a combination of tumor antigen present at the site and encapsulated nucleic acid encoding for tumor antigens can be released, with co-delivery of adjuvants that upregulate dendritic cell antigen uptake ability and antibodies that block tumor immunosuppression.