PAINLESS MICRONEEDLES INSPIRED BY MOSQUITOES

Brief Description

Conventional or hypodermic needles open through various uses across the medical field. Despite its merits, it also brings forth several issues. One of these is the painful and burdensome insertion on the skin because of its reach to the pain receptors, found deep in the dermis (Waghule et al., 2018)^[1]. Its long and thick nature prevents comfort and appropriateness of its use on body parts with thinner or more delicate skin, including the face or neck.

Another is the adverse effects and possible hazards it poses on the patient's skin, which includes the prolonged time of healing of the injected site (Waghule et al., 2018)^[1]. Skin irritation is one of the most frequently destructive outcomes of conventional needle use. Minor trauma from the needle puncturing of the skin might result in discomfort, redness, and swelling. The likelihood of a needle breaking off and getting stuck in the skin is another potential risk associated with conventional needle use. Given that the needle may need to be surgically removed and poses a risk of infection or other consequences, this can be a painful and risky condition.

The use of conventional needles can be a distressing experience for those who have needle phobias or anxiety. Fear of the needle, pain, and discomfort can unsettle patients and keep them from getting the medical attention they need.

The administration of these conventional needles can pose harm not only to the patient but also to the administrator. Every year, around two million healthcare professionals get injured by needles after usage. Infection of hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through this is not unusual (Pease, 2014)^[2]. If not appropriately disposed of, they might not be biodegradable, which could cause environmental issues.

Due to these complications, it is imperative to gain and apply new knowledge. Traditional needles might be a frightening thought for many who have trypanophobia, or a fear of needles. However, this science topic engages in the much harmless option — the common mosquito’s sting.

Thought of mosquito bites, much of the populace often associates them with itchiness, swelling, and the risk of contracting diseases like malaria, dengue fever, or Zika virus. However, beyond these unpleasant consequences, mosquito bites are also intriguing biological phenomena that have attracted the attention of scientists and researchers for decades. One aspect of mosquito bites that scientists have studied in depth is how they affect the human body and why they may be less painful than traditional needle injections.

One factor that contributes to the painlessness of mosquito bites is the mosquito's saliva. Mosquitoes secrete saliva that contains proteins, enzymes, and other molecules that help find and access blood vessels in the human body. These molecules numb the skin and reduce inflammation, which can make the bite feel less painful and irritating. In addition, the mosquito's fascicle, which draws up blood from the host, vibrates as it feeds, creating a pulsating sensation that can further distract the human nervous system from feeling the pain.

Another feature of mosquito bites that distinguishes them from traditional needle injections is the structure of the mosquito's proboscis, which is the thin and long mouthpart that is used to pierce the skin and suck blood. Unlike traditional needles, which are typically smooth and uniform in shape, the mosquito's proboscis is serrated, with notched edges that resemble saws or teeth. It is thought that their bites barely hurt because the part of their mouth that pierces the skin is thinner than a single hair -- which is about a tenth of a millimeter -- thereby hardly stimulating the sensory neurons (Mainichi Japan, n.d.)^[3]. This structure allows the mosquito to cut through the skin more easily, minimizing the force and pressure applied to the tissue and reducing the likelihood of pain and injury (Ohio State University, 2018)^[4].

These observations involving the needle-like structure of mosquitoes inspired several scientists to implement these newfound observations into conventional needles. The merge of these factors and the conventional hypodermic needle led to the birth of the painless microneedle.

Application

Due to their observable merits, painless microneedles are implied and incorporated into society's services. It is mainly utilized and implemented categorically in healthcare services. Below are its usage and application to the community:

Microneedles were mainly introduced for skin rejuvenation. It involves the pricking of the skin with miniature needles in order for the body to produce more collagen and elastin which results in a healthier look of the skin, this process is also known as Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT).

Cancer, like many illnesses, requires diagnosis and treatment that includes using needles. Far from the conventional approach, microneedles provide multitudes of benefits, such as self-administration, painless treatment, and being economically and environmentally friendly, thus, providing a safer and more effective cancer diagnosis and treatment. The benefits acquired from these microneedles remarkably improved the survival rate of cancer patients (Ganeson et al., 2023)^[11].

Another illness that plagued many is diabetes. Health professionals urge diabetics to have regular glucose monitoring and drug insertion. The execution of these processes suggests a repetitive administration of needles. It can be the origin of the pain of the mentioned diabetics. Due to this recurring problem, the implementation of painless microneedles in diabetes management emerged as a more efficient process of drawing blood and delivering the drug. Hence, painless microneedles in diabetes treatment enable health workers to provide complex drugs to diabetics conveniently and comfortably (Uddin et al., 2018)^[12].

Stretch marks, burns, enlarged pores, wrinkles, and acne scarring are a few skin conditions that can result in depressions in the skin that can be treated with microneedling. In addition, unlike lasers, it does not heat the skin. Thus, microneedling can be performed on those with melasma (dark patches of skin) and hyperpigmentation (dark spots on the skin) without running the danger of making their pigmentation issues worse. Additionally, it is occasionally used to improve the effectiveness of topical skin treatments. For instance, microneedling may be done prior to the administration of minoxidil, which is used to treat common hair loss.

Overall, microneedles enable painless insertion and removal due to their small size. Greater acceptance and compliance may result from the patient's comfort during administration (Federico et al., 2023)^[13]. The medical industry's long-term goal is to make its processes available to a much larger population. Increasing the availability of painless microneedles for drug delivery.