{"693761":{"#nid":"693761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microscopic \u201cPorcupines\u201d Poke a Path for Improved Skin Treatments","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYour skin is remarkably good at keeping things out of your body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETypically, that\u2019s a positive. It becomes an issue when medicine needs to get in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESwallow a pill to treat a skin condition, and the medicine enters your stomach, moves into your bloodstream, and travels throughout your body \u2014 all to reach a problem in your skin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplying the drug directly seems simpler. But the skin\u2019s outer layer blocks most medicines meant to treat it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/mark-prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor, Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur, and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering,\u003C\/a\u003E has spent years trying to get medication through that barrier. He says his solution looks a little like a tiny spiny creature or a centuries-old weapon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLike the ball and chain of medieval times, with all those spikes sticking out of the ball,\u201d Prausnitz said. \u201cOr like a porcupine.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOnly much, much smaller.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz calls them STAR particles because tiny microneedles project from each particle like the points of a star. Mix them into a cream or gel, rub them across the skin, and they create microscopic openings that give medicine a way through.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDitching the Patch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea grew out of \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2019\/02\/influential-research-chbe-professor-prausnitzs-findings-microneedle-patches-transdermal\u0022\u003Emicroneedle patches\u003C\/a\u003E, which are already used to help drugs penetrate the skin. But patches are best suited to small areas. But conditions such as eczema and psoriasis can affect broad or irregular parts of the body where Prausnitz said patches would be impractical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESTAR particles ditch the patch. Mixed into a cream or gel, they can be rubbed wherever they\u2019re needed. Their microscopic points puncture the skin\u2019s outer barrier, creating openings that help drugs get in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cJust that rubbing action on your skin causes these particles to roll and slide around and poke little holes in the skin,\u201d Prausnitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose openings allow the medicine in the cream or gel to be absorbed over time. In one small human study, earlier ceramic STAR particles helped a topical anesthetic take effect faster and reduce sensation more than the anesthetic used alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeparate tests focused on tolerability. The particles caused mild redness, but it faded. Participants described tingling rather than pain or discomfort.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can barely even tell,\u201d Prausnitz said of the earlier particles. \u201cIf you look very closely, you can see just faint redness on the skin. But if you look from a distance, you can\u2019t even tell it\u2019s there.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut those particles were made from titania, a material that is safe but isn\u2019t biodegradable. Once they have done their job to deliver drugs into the skin, they have an uncertain fate afterwards.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo one has found evidence they cause harm. Still, Prausnitz wondered where they might end up after use. In an eye? On a child? Somehow impacting the environment? \u0026nbsp;Those questions drove the redesign.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesigned to Disappear\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz and his team created new STAR particles with three materials that break down after use. One is the same substance used in dissolvable stitches, which is a biodegradable plastic that can be made from corn. Another is based on cellulose, which is a major component of essentially all plants. The final is an additive often used in candy and other foods. All three made the tiny openings needed to help compounds pass through the skin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe strongest result involved copper tripeptide-1, a skincare ingredient. Prausnitz reported good results with methotrexate, which is used to treat psoriasis, and with tacrolimus, which is used to treat eczema.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith STAR particles, nearly 37 times as much entered the skin as without the particles That doesn\u2019t mean it was 37 times more effective. The study measured drug delivery into the skin, not treatment results. And the biodegradable particles haven\u2019t been tested in people yet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz said some drugs that might otherwise be useful for skin disease have been \u201cthrown in the trash or stuck on the shelf\u201d because of the side effects caused when they circulate throughout the body. Drug delivery directly to the skin using STAR particles could reduce those side effects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe has also said STAR particles might one day deliver anti-aging treatments without injections or harsher procedures. Those cosmetic uses, however, were not evaluated in this study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor patients, using STAR particles could feel much like applying an ordinary cream or lotion: Rub it on. Feel a little tingle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUsers don\u2019t really know or care that STAR particles are in there,\u201d Prausnitz said. \u201cYour experience is a familiar one.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe study was published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/adhm.71569\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Healthcare Materials\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMark Prausnitz is affiliated with two of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/interdisciplinary-research-institutes\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Research Institutes\u003C\/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPrausnitz and Dr. Andrew Tadros are inventors of the STAR\u0026nbsp;particle technology used in this study and have ownership interests\u0026nbsp;in Aldena Therapeutics Ltd. and Microstar\u0026nbsp;Biotech LLC, which are developing\u0026nbsp;technologies\u0026nbsp;related to this study. They are\u0026nbsp;eligible\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;receive\u0026nbsp;royalties\u0026nbsp;from the company\u2019s future commercialization of products associated with this\u0026nbsp;research.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese interests have been disclosed and are subject to oversight and management by the Institute\u2019s Conflict of Interest Office.\u0026nbsp; Management plans are in place to mitigate actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest and commitment.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s biodegradable STAR particles could help medicine get where it needs to go \u2014while limiting exposure elsewhere in the body."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers developed \u003Cstrong\u003Ebiodegradable STAR particles\u003C\/strong\u003E to improve topical drug delivery through the skin. The particles could target broad or irregular areas while limiting exposure elsewhere in the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2022\u2002\u003C\/strong\u003ESTAR particles create microscopic openings as they are rubbed into creams or gels, and earlier ceramic versions helped topical anesthetic act faster with mild, temporary redness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2022\u2002\u003C\/strong\u003ENew particles made from \u003Cstrong\u003Ebiodegradable materials\u003C\/strong\u003E delivered nearly 37 times more copper tripeptide-1 into skin than treatment without particles; methotrexate and tacrolimus also showed promising results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2022\u2002\u003C\/strong\u003EThe biodegradable particles have not yet been tested in people, and the study measured skin delivery rather than treatment effectiveness.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s biodegradable STAR particles could help medicine get where it needs to go \u2014while limiting exposure elsewhere in the body."}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2026-11-04 15:36:57","changed_gmt":"2026-11-05 14:32:31","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681660":{"id":"681660","type":"image","title":"STAR Particles","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBiodegradable STAR particle made of cellulose acetate: top view (credit: Aydin Sadeqi, Georgia Tech)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1793805741","gmt_created":"2026-11-04 15:22:21","changed":"1793806409","gmt_changed":"2026-11-04 15:33:29","alt":"A biodegradable STAR particle as seen under a microscope","file":{"fid":"266096","name":"STAR-1--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/11\/04\/STAR-1--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/11\/04\/STAR-1--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":70898,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/11\/04\/STAR-1--1-.jpg?itok=01-X_5dE"}}},"media_ids":["681660"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1613","name":"Biomedical Engieering"},{"id":"2579","name":"commercialization"},{"id":"187927","name":"go-inthenews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Azriel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESenior Writer-Editor, Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mazriel3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emazriel3@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}