Levofloxacin‐Loaded Microneedles Produced Using 3D‐Printed Molds for Klebsiella Pneumoniae Biofilm Control

• Published in: Advanced therapeutics Vol. 6; no. 6
• Main Authors: Vinayakumar, K. B., Silva, Maria Daniela, Martins, Artur, Mundy, Stephen, González‐Losada, Pedro, Sillankorva, Sanna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2023
• Subjects: 3D printing; biofilms; Klebsiella pneumoniae; levofloxacin; microneedles; polyvinyl alcohol
• ISSN: 2366-3987; 2366-3987
• DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202200320

Additive manufacturing advancements contribute considerably to several fields and its use in the medical field is gaining attention due to its easily customizable option (patient‐specific), low cost, and fast turnout time in developing drug delivery and diagnostic tools. Herein, the fabrication of a microneedle (MN) platform is reported using a stereolithography 3D printer, varying the 3D printing angle and aspect ratio (2:1, 3:1, and 4:1). The optimal printing angle is 30°, resulting in needle tip and base diameters of ≈50 and ≈330 µm and heights of ≈550/850/1180 µm. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) MNs produced with varying levofloxacin concentrations show variability of ≈4% in tip and 3% base diameters and 15% in height compared to the 3D‐printed MNs. Geometry B is used to produce levofloxacin‐loaded PVA MNs and tested against Klebsiella pneumoniae colony biofilms. Levofloxacin is released gradually, as assessed by spectrofluorimetry. The minimum inhibitory concentration of levofloxacin against the K. pneumoniae clinical isolate is 4 µg mL−1 but this concentration is insufficient to cause any effect on K. pneumoniae biofilms. Only concentrations ≥32 µg mL−1 are statistically different compared to the unloaded MNs. 3D printing is an attractive solution to produce molds for fabricating biopolymeric MNs for topical drug delivery. Improved transdermal delivery to Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilms using levofloxacin‐loaded polyvinyl alcohol microneedles. Microneedle arrays are 3D printed, varying needle length, geometry, and printing angle. The antibiotic‐loaded microneedles significantly reduce the growth of K. pneumoniae compared to unloaded microneedles, at a >8x minimum inhibitory concentration. The topical of levofloxacin using microneedles can be a promising approach for treating biofilm‐related infections.