Microneedle-mediated drug delivery for scar prevention and treatment.

• Abnormal scars are a serious condition yet to be treated effectively. • Current scar treatment methods and their limitations are explored. • Microneedles (MNs) are effective and advanced drug delivery devices for abnormal scars. • Applications of MNs for hypertrophic and keloid scar treatment are summarized. • Future perspectives and challenges are highlighted. Scars are an inevitable natural outcome of most wound healing processes and affect skin functions, leading to cosmetic, psychological and social problems. Several strategies, including surgery, radiation, cryotherapy, laser therapy, pressure therapy and corticosteroids, can be used to either prevent or treat scars. However, these strategies are ineffective, have side effects and are typically expensive. Microneedle (MN) technology is a powerful, minimally invasive platform for transdermal drug delivery. This review discusses the most recent progress in MN-mediated drug delivery to prevent and treat pathological scars (hypertrophic and keloids). A comprehensive overview of existing challenges and future perspectives is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]