FURI | Spring 2021

Microneedles for Basal Cell Carcinoma

This project proposes a new method in delivering vismodegib, a chemotherapy drug that is taken orally for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). BCC therapeutics in chemotherapy tend to suffer from systemic dosage, where the drug is injected intravenously or intramuscularly, which causes the drugs to indiscriminately affect the entire body. This experiment investigated a PLGA microneedle that can encapsulate vismodegib, be inserted into the patient’s skin in a painless manner and deliver drug over time throughout the course of months to avoid systemic dosage and increase patient compliance.