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Related Concept Videos

Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems01:18

Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems

Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) enable the controlled release of drugs across the skin into systemic circulation. They are particularly advantageous for drugs with short half-lives or narrow therapeutic indices, as they maintain consistent plasma concentrations and reduce the risk of subtherapeutic or toxic levels.TDDS are categorized into monolithic, reservoir, and mixed systems. Monolithic systems embed the drug in a polymer matrix, where diffusion governs release. Reservoir systems...
Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport01:23

Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport

Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
Carrier-Mediated Transport01:06

Carrier-Mediated Transport

Carrier-mediated transport is a pivotal process in drug absorption, particularly for lipid-insoluble drugs, and encompasses facilitated diffusion and active transport. Facilitated diffusion allows drugs to move along their concentration gradient without energy expenditure, while active transport utilizes ATP to drive drug movement against this gradient.
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport01:24

Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport

Drugs must traverse multiple biological barriers, such as multi-layered skin, single-layered intestinal epithelium, and the plasma membrane, to reach their target sites within the body. The plasma membrane, a highly structured composite of phospholipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, is the cell's protective boundary, facilitating selective substance exchange.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Parenteral Drug Delivery Systems: Injectables, Implants, and Infusion Devices01:28

Parenteral Drug Delivery Systems: Injectables, Implants, and Infusion Devices

Parenteral drug delivery systems play a crucial role in modern therapeutics by enabling the direct administration of drugs into the systemic circulation, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract. These systems are particularly valuable for poorly absorbed oral medications that are unstable in the digestive environment or require rapid onset or sustained therapeutic levels. Delivery is achieved through intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous routes, each selected based on the drug's properties...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Site-Targeted01:24

Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Site-Targeted

Site-targeted drug delivery systems enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity and treatment costs. Unlike conventional methods, these systems ensure precise drug delivery, improving bioavailability and reducing side effects. Targeted drug delivery is classified into three levels. First-order targeting directs drugs to the capillary beds of specific organs or tissues. Second-order targets specific cell types, such as tumor cells, using receptor-mediated interactions.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery
09:44

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery

Published on: September 26, 2025

Transfersomes for transdermal drug delivery.

Heather A E Benson1

  • 1Curtin University of Technology, School of Pharmacy, Perth, WA 6845, Australia. h.benson@curtin.edu.au

Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery
|November 2, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Transfersomes are elastic vesicles for drug delivery. While they can penetrate the skin's outer layer, evidence for intact vesicle passage into circulation remains limited.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Biotechnology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Transfersomes, developed in the early 1990s, are elastic vesicles utilizing an edge activator in their lipid bilayer.
  • Their original formulation included soya phosphatidyl choline, sodium cholate, and ethanol.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the development and evaluation of Transfersomes and other elastic vesicles.
  • To investigate their potential as topical and transdermal drug delivery systems.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research on Transfersomes and elastic vesicles.
  • Analysis of studies on vesicle penetration mechanisms through the stratum corneum.
  • Evaluation of structural changes in the skin and vesicle visualization.

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Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers
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Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers

Published on: October 17, 2013

Fabrication of Dissolvable Microneedle Patches Loaded with &#945;-Lactalbumin Nanomicelles for Transdermal Capsaicin Delivery and Adipose Tissue Reduction
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Fabrication of Dissolvable Microneedle Patches Loaded with α-Lactalbumin Nanomicelles for Transdermal Capsaicin Delivery and Adipose Tissue Reduction

Published on: December 30, 2025

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Last Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery
09:44

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery

Published on: September 26, 2025

Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers
18:57

Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers

Published on: October 17, 2013

Fabrication of Dissolvable Microneedle Patches Loaded with &#945;-Lactalbumin Nanomicelles for Transdermal Capsaicin Delivery and Adipose Tissue Reduction
06:33

Fabrication of Dissolvable Microneedle Patches Loaded with α-Lactalbumin Nanomicelles for Transdermal Capsaicin Delivery and Adipose Tissue Reduction

Published on: December 30, 2025

Main Results:

  • Transfersomes can permeate the stratum corneum via osmotic forces.
  • Intact Transfersomes have been visualized within stratum corneum lipid lamellar regions.
  • Substantiation of intact vesicle penetration into deeper skin layers or circulation is lacking.

Conclusions:

  • Transfersomes show potential for topical and transdermal delivery by penetrating the stratum corneum.
  • Further research is needed to confirm the in-vivo fate and circulation of intact elastic vesicles.
  • The principle of edge activators has led to the development of various elastic vesicle formulations.