How light-converting microneedle patches enable safe, precise & efficient phototherapy for psoriasis
image: A light-converting microneedle patch (EU-MN) delivers targeted intradermal UV phototherapy by releasing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and the photosensitizer MOP in response to skin conditions, activated by external NIR irradiation. Additionally, the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive microneedle shell releases epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for sustained anti-inflammatory effects, thereby minimizing UV-induced damage and enhancing therapeutic efficacy, as demonstrated in psoriasis treatment.
Credit: Nano Research, Tsinghua University Press
Ultraviolet (UV) phototherapy is a widely used and effective dermatological treatment, yet its application has been limited by UV toxicity and challenges in targeted delivery. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), a novel photoluminescent nanomaterial capable of converting near-infrared (NIR) light into shorter-wavelength visible or UV light, hold promise for enabling NIR-driven skin phototherapy.
Recently, a research team from Nanchang University in China developed a groundbreaking light-converting microneedle patch (EU-MN), offering a safer, more precise, and more efficient alternative for UV phototherapy in psoriasis treatment. This technology integrates UCNPs with a responsive microneedle delivery system, significantly enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing direct UV exposure risks.
The findings were published in Nano Research in May 2025.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 3% of the global population, characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and immune dysregulation. Conventional UV phototherapy, such as PUVA, which combines UV light (UVA) with the photosensitizer methoxsalen (MOP) to treat psoriatic lesions, faces challenges including UV-induced toxicity, imprecise photosensitizer delivery, and poor skin barrier penetration. The EU-MN patch addresses these limitations by transdermally delivering UCNPs and MOP, converting NIR into UV light for safe, targeted, and highly efficient PUVA therapy.
“The EU-MN patch represents a major advancement in psoriasis phototherapy,” said Professor Xiaolei Wang, co-corresponding author of the study and a researcher at the National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and Technologies at Nanchang University. “By combining upconversion nanotechnology with microneedle delivery, we’ve created a system that not only improves the precision and safety of UV phototherapy but also ensures sustained therapeutic effects through a dual-responsive mechanism.”
The EU-MN patch features a core-shell design: The outer shell releases anti-inflammatory agents in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS), while the core releases UCNPs and MOP upon exposure to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This dual-responsive mechanism ensures precise drug release at the lesion site. Under NIR irradiation, the UV light emitted by UCNPs activates MOP, effectively suppressing abnormal epidermal cell proliferation and bacterial growth, while the ROS-responsive outer layer mitigates UV-induced damage and inflammation. “This dual-action mechanism is critical for addressing the complex pathology of psoriasis,” noted Professor Wang.
In an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis mouse model, the EU-MN patch combined with NIR irradiation demonstrated superior therapeutic outcomes—reducing epidermal hyperplasia, inflammation, and aberrant immune responses—compared to traditional PUVA therapy. RNA sequencing identified significant cell cycle arrest in treated mice, indicating the potential to inhibit hyperproliferative keratinocytes. “Our animal study results are highly encouraging,” Professor Wang remarked. “The EU-MN patch not only delivers immediate therapeutic benefits but also offers anti-relapse advantages through prolonged nanodrug retention in the skin and repeatable NIR irradiation. This is crucial for long-term psoriasis management and recurrence prevention.”
The team believes the EU-MN patch could pioneer new strategies in dermatological phototherapy. “Beyond enhancing the precision and safety of UV phototherapy, the EU-MN platform enables targeted drug delivery and sustained efficacy,” said Professor Wang. “With simple modifications to active components and light sources, this technology may be adapted for other skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, and alopecia areata.”
Other contributors include Jun Luo, Lubing Liu, and Jing Ye from the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Precision Cell Therapy at the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China; and Zhengshuai Yin, Xiaoya Lu, Haichang Wang, Yuyang Zhang, Chuanlin Zhou, and Jiashu Shi from the National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and the Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine at Nanchang University.
This work was supported by the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Precision Cell Therapy (No. 2024SSY06241), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82360174), the Science and Technology Department Project of Jiangxi Province (20224ABC03A02), the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangxi Province (20212BBG73004), the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Drugs (No.2024SSY07061) and the Graduate Innovation Special Fund Project of Jiangxi Province (YC2023-B046).
About the Authors:
Xiaolei Wang is a Full Professor and doctoral supervisor at Nanchang University, where he serves as Dean of Jiluan College and the College of Future Technology, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. A Distinguished Young Scholar of the Yangtze River Scholars Program and National Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Expert, he leads the “Light-Health New Materials Technology” national first-class discipline special zone. His honors include the State Council Special Allowance and Nanchang University’s “Top Ten Outstanding Graduate Supervisors” award.
Jun Luo is Vice President of Nanchang University’s Second Affiliated Hospital, a Full Professor, chief physician, and doctoral/postdoctoral supervisor. Recognized as a national/provincial-level talent, he directs both the Institute of Translational Medicine and Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Degenerative Diseases. He has led the 12.43-million-yuan National Key R&D Program and published 40+ SCI papers in Advanced Materials, Science Advances, and other journals.
Lubing Liu is a clinical medicine PhD at Nanchang University’s Second Affiliated Hospital, specializing in biomedical materials and tissue regeneration. Author of 4 first-author SCI papers (including in Research) and 2 core Chinese journal articles, she contributed to the national textbook Essentials of Medical Instrumentation and led a Jiangxi Provincial Graduate Innovation Fund project. Her honors include the Nanchang University Innovation Award and the Outstanding Graduate Student Award.
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.