Multiple RONS-Loaded Plasma-Activated Ice Microneedle Patches for Transdermal Treatment of Psoriasis
Tonghai Wu, Jishen Zhang, Xixi Jing, Zewei Wang, Zijin Wu, Hao Zhang, Dingxin Liu, Mingzhe Rong, Paul K. Chu
Abstract
Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a fledgling therapeutic technique for psoriasis treatment with noninvasiveness, but clinical adoption has been stifled by the insufficient production and delivery of plasma-generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Herein, patches of air-discharge plasma-activated ice microneedles (PA-IMNs) loaded with multiple RONS are designed for local transdermal delivery to treat psoriasis as an alternative to direct CAP irradiation treatment. By mixing two RONS generated by the air-discharge plasma in the NO x mode and O 3 mode, abundant high-valence RONS are produced and incorporated into PA-IMNs via complex gas–gas and gas–liquid reactions. The PA-IMNs abrogate keratinocyte overproliferation by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis of keratinocytes. The in vivo transdermal treatment confirms that PA-IMNs produce significant anti-inflammatory and therapeutic actions for imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis in mice by inhibiting the release of associated inflammatory factors while showing no evident systemic toxicity. Therefore, PA-IMNs have a large potential in transdermal delivery platforms as they overcome the limitations of using CAP directly in the clinical treatment of psoriasis.