Bee-Stinger-Inspired Microneedle Delivers Drugs, Stimulates Healing and Monitors Wounds

For people with diabetes, wounds can be slow to heal due to high blood sugar, persistent inflammation, and infection. This destructive cycle makes recovery difficult, and conventional dressings or hydrogel patches only ease symptoms without tackling the underlying causes. Chronic wound management often remains a blind process, with clinicians relying on visual checks and risking missed intervention points. Now, researchers have developed a new wound-healing system that integrates treatment, stimulation, and monitoring in real time.

The microneedle platform, created by researchers at Shaanxi University of Science and Technology (Xi’an, Shaanxi, China), was inspired by the serrated stinger of a honeybee and anchors securely into the skin, preventing it from loosening during daily activities. The team constructed the device by coating biodegradable polylactic acid microneedles with the conductive polymer polypyrrole and adding insulin-loaded hydrogel at the tips, combining drug delivery, electrical stimulation, and monitoring functions.

At the tip of each microneedle, the hydrogel provides temperature-sensitive, steady insulin release for up to 24 hours, triggered by body heat. The conductive polymer layer at the base simultaneously delivers electrical stimulation, which promotes blood vessel growth, while also measuring subtle shifts in electrical resistance—an indicator of wound healing progress. The serrated edges improved skin penetration and long-term stability, ensuring consistent delivery and reliable monitoring.

The development of this work, published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, showcased how the self-anchoring microneedle patch effectively integrates therapeutic and diagnostic functions. Unlike traditional dressings, the patch not only covers and treats the wound but also “listens” to it, continuously mapping tissue changes and adapting therapy without removal. This approach allows for more precise intervention and improved healing outcomes.

Going forward, the team plans to add new sensing capabilities, including humidity and biochemical markers, while also developing AI algorithms to predict wound progression and automatically adjust therapy. This could allow real-time adjustments of insulin release and stimulation intensity for diabetic foot ulcers, reducing risks of severe tissue damage. Further improvements in flexibility and wearability are also underway to ensure the microneedles remain safe and comfortable during walking, exercise, and other daily activities.

"Chronic wound management has long been a blind process," said corresponding author Prof. Xinhua Liu. "Clinicians often rely on visual checks, which means they can miss the critical moment for intervention. We wanted to create a system that could see, decide, and act without removing the dressing," said Prof. Xinhua Liu, corresponding author and lead researcher. “This is more than a dressing. It’s a real-time navigator for wound healing—a step toward truly personalized, data-driven care.”