Transdermal drug delivery: from micro to nano

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Drug Delivery
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Transdermal drug delivery offers significant advantages over oral and intravenous administration.
• The skin's natural barrier, the stratum corneum (SC), severely restricts the passage of most molecules.
• Overcoming skin impermeability is crucial for effective transdermal drug administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically summarize recent technological advancements for enhancing transdermal drug delivery.
• To provide an overview of methods that improve drug molecule penetration across the skin barrier.
• To highlight innovative approaches for overcoming the limitations of transdermal drug transport.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on transdermal delivery technologies.
• Categorization of methods based on their mechanism of action (chemical, physical, biological, nanocarriers).
• Critical analysis of the efficacy and limitations of each technology.

Main Results:

• Chemical enhancers modify the SC lipid structure to increase permeability.
• Physical methods like ultrasound and electric currents disrupt the skin barrier temporarily.
• Minimally invasive microneedles bypass the SC, and nanodelivery vehicles facilitate deeper skin penetration.
• These technologies demonstrate potential for improved transdermal drug delivery.

Conclusions:

• Various technologies effectively enhance transdermal drug delivery by altering skin barrier properties.
• Chemical enhancers, physical methods, microneedles, and nanocarriers represent key advancements.
• Further research and development are needed to optimize these technologies for clinical application.