Ginsenoside RG3-loaded microneedles for in situ treatment of ovarian cancer

Natural products have unique therapeutic effects in the treatment of various diseases. Ginseng, as a traditional Chinese herb, is effective against a wide range of diseases. Nowadays, studies have shown that ginsenoside RG3, the active ingredient of ginseng, has obvious anti-tumor effects. However, since the drug concentration is too low when the drug is administered orally to reach ovarian cancer (OC), this study aims to develop a new way of RG3 administration. Microneedles (MNs), which are made of methacryloyl gelatin and have good biocompatibility and drug-carrying efficiency, were employed to deliver RG3 directly to the surface of ovarian tumors. RG3 was encapsulated in MNs, and RG3-MNs could effectively penetrate the tumor tissue and release the drug with ideal kinetics. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated the anti-tumor efficiency and biosafety of RG3-MNs. RG3-MNs could inhibit the proliferation of OC cells and promote apoptosis, thus exerting anti-tumor effects. These results indicated that loading RG3-MNs has good prospects in the clinical therapy of OC.