Ultrasound-triggered interfacial engineering-based microneedle for bacterial infection acne treatment

Acne is an inflammatory skin disease mainly caused by Propionibacterium acnes, which can cause local inflammatory reactions and develop into chronic inflammatory diseases in severe cases. To avoid the use of antibiotics and to effectively treat the site of acne, we report a sodium hyaluronate microneedle patch that mediates the transdermal delivery of ultrasound-responsive nanoparticles for the effective treatment of acne. The patch contains nanoparticles formed by zinc porphyrin–based metal-organic framework and zinc oxide (ZnTCPP@ZnO). We demonstrated activated oxygen-mediated killing of P. acnes with an antibacterial efficiency of 99.73% under 15 min of ultrasound irradiation, resulting in a decrease in levels of acne-related factors, including tumor necrosis factor–α, interleukins, and matrix metalloproteinases. The zinc ions up-regulated DNA replication–related genes, promoting the proliferation of fibroblasts and, consequently, skin repair. This research leads to a highly effective strategy for acne treatment through the interface engineering of ultrasound response.