I-Corps: Immunomodulatory Patch for Periodontal Regeneration

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a dissolvable microneedle patch that provides a sustained release and local delivery of antibiotics. The first application of the proposed technology will be the treatment of periodontitis, a wide-spread oral disease that impacts up to 47.2% of all adults worldwide. Currently, antibiotic products are only used for severe cases of periodontitis due to the high risk of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains developing from the leakage of product. By utilizing the proposed technology to deliver antibiotics directly to the local tissue, the proposed microneedle patch overcomes retention and leakage issues. In addition, the proposed design requires minimal to no training for application, and may be easily used as a point-of-care treatment. Patients may eventually have direct access to using the patch with a prescription. This would be the first locally delivered antibiotic for at home care to treat periodontitis. This I-Corps project is based on the development of an engineered, dissolvable, microarray delivery platform that provides a sustained release and local delivery of antibiotics aimed at treating periodontal disease. The proposed technology is a dissolvable patch with biodegradable microneedles, offering a point-of-care option for patients to administer antibiotic treatment at their convenience. The proposed patch may prevent regrowth of the bacterial colonies that initially cause periodontitis and encourage gingival tissue regrowth. The patch is applied to gingival tissue where the membrane support is designed to dissolve quickly for a burst release of antibiotics to immediately reduce bacterial content in the microenvironment. The biocompatible and bioresorbable microneedles penetrate and stay in gingival tissue for the sustained release of biomolecules. The goal of the proposed technology is to overcomes the problems of insufficient penetration and local retention as well as antibacterial and immune modulation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.