Overcoming electrically induced artifacts in penetration studies with fluorescent tracers

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Model molecules are crucial for economical transdermal transport studies, utilizing detectable properties like fluorescence.
• Fluorescent tracers, such as calcein, are commonly employed but can yield artifacts in electro-enhanced transport studies.
• Artifacts arise from interactions between the tracer and electrode byproducts, compromising data integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an experimental setup that mitigates artifacts in transdermal transport studies using fluorescent tracers.
• To establish calcein and similar fluorescent molecules as reliable models for studying skin barrier penetration.
• To enable accurate measurement of electrically enhanced transport across the human skin barrier.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of a novel experimental apparatus for transdermal transport measurements.
• Utilizing fluorescent tracers, specifically calcein, as model molecules.
• Employing techniques to prevent or account for interactions between the tracer and electrode byproducts.

Main Results:

• The developed setup successfully eliminates artifacts previously observed in calcein-based transdermal transport studies.
• Demonstrated the suitability of calcein as a reliable model molecule in electrically enhanced transport experiments.
• Provided a robust methodology for accurate assessment of transdermal penetration.

Conclusions:

• The novel experimental setup overcomes limitations associated with fluorescent tracers in transdermal studies.
• This approach enhances the reliability and accuracy of using model molecules for skin transport research.
• Offers an economical and effective method for investigating drug delivery and skin barrier function.