Abstract
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that originates in the melanocytes, the epidermis’
basal layer. The skin has traditionally been an attractive administration location for
drug delivery in tumor therapy, and it is composed of three layers: the outermost stratum
corneum (SC), the middle epidermis, and the deepest layer, the dermis. Melanoma can
be treated using a variety of methods, such as chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and
biological therapy, but all are expensive and have side effects. Furthermore, the SC is the
primary barrier that contributes to the impermeability of the skin, which is a limitation
in epidermal drug transport and can aid in achieving effective drug concentration with
minimal side effects at the target location. Microneedles (MNs) are tiny needles that are
easy to use, inexpensive, and non-toxic. In recent years, MNs have been significantly
studied for the treatment of melanoma due to their excellent biocompatibility, minimal
invasion, high patient compliance, simple penetration process, and high SC penetration
rate. Most notably, MNs can provide efficient and seldom unpleasant delivery carriers and
synergistic effectiveness by combining multi-model techniques with immunotherapy, gene
therapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal treatment (PTT). This review
will focus on biocompatibility, biodegradability, limitations, fabrication materials, release
mechanisms, and delivery of the therapeutics of MNs for melanoma treatment.