An electrically active microneedle array for electroporation of skin for gene delivery

We have designed and fabricated a microneedle array with electrical functionality with the final goal of electroporating skin´s epidermal cells to increase their transfection by DNA vaccines. The microneedle array was made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) by micromolding technology from a master PDMS mold, followed by metal deposition, patterning using laser ablation, and electrodeposition. This microneedle array possessed sufficient mechanical strength to penetrate human skin in vivo and was also able to electroporate red blood cells as an in vitro model to demonstrate cell membrane permeabilization.