Self-Driven, Stretchable Drug Delivery Electronics for Acne Treatment
Acne is a common skin condition caused by the blockage of hair follicles, which is often associated with adolescents. Beyond physical discomfort and potential scarring, acne can also result in mental health issues including low self-esteem and anxiety. Among all available medical treatments, topical antibiotics are effective for acne treatment due to their rapid action, anti-inflammatory properties, minimal side effects, and accessibility. However, long-term and continuous use of topical antibiotics will result in serious bacterial resistance. Focusing on this issue, we developed a stretchable, self-driven drug delivery system with clindamycin serving as the antibacterial agent, which is powered by a biocompatible, high-performance magnesium-O<sub>2</sub> battery. Based on the working principle of ion electrophoresis, the direct current power by the integrated battery is applied onto the self-developed drug layer with clindamycin embedded, realizing controllable delivery of clindamycin along with the ions in the electrolyte to target acne lesions, where the drug delivery rate could be well-adjusted by regulating the power output of the battery. Benefiting from advanced mechanical design and material selection, the entire system is fully stretchable and biocompatible, achieving a stretching rate of up to 100% within the yielding limit. This capability allows it to effectively conform to most human body areas for acne treatment. We further validated the self-driven drug delivery system through in vitro and in vivo experiments, showcasing a feasible acne treatment method that not only extends antibiotic efficacy but also ensures long-term wearability.
Authors
- Kangning Ren (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8563-7654)
- Xinge Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0522-1171)
- Mingxiu Lv
- Takao Someya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3051-1138)
- Chun Ki Yiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3841-5327)
- Miao Kong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1328-4332)
- Tomoyuki Yokota (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1546-8864)
- Jinpei Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1241-6372)
- Woo‐Young Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2250-3613)
- Xingcan Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4210-2470)
- Chao Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1275-7794)
- Jiachen Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8973-9236)
- Jingyou Su (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0564-5380)
- Kenjiro Fukuda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8015-5819)
- Shengxin Jia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6998-3872)
- Jianxin Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6813-0448)
- Shiyuan Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0966-5589)
- Qiang Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2707-0258)
- Jianwei Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3682-6934)
- Yiming Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0134-1934)
- Zhao Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3045-688X)
- Xinxin He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2660-5460)
- Xue Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3145-9925)
Institutions
- Macau University of Science and Technology (MO)
- Entrust (GB)
- Department of Health (CN)
- Hong Kong Baptist University (HK)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- Tokyo University of Information Sciences (JP)
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK)
- University of Macau (MO)
- Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HK)
- InfoConsult (Germany) (DE)
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (GB)
- RIKEN (JP)
- China Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute (CN)
- Advanced Device Technology (United States) (US)
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (JP)
- Macao Polytechnic University (MO)
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- The University of Osaka (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Nano
- Published
- 2025-08-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c09857
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Advancements in Transdermal Drug Delivery
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.37
Funders
- City University of Hong Kong
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science