Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: A New Paradigm in Topical Delivery for Dermal and Transdermal Applications

Topical drug delivery offers many advantages over oral delivery, such as avoidance of first-pass metabolism, targeting of the active ingredients for a local effect, and patient compliance. However, the achievement of dermal and transdermal delivery needs to conciliate difficulties in permeation across skin barrier at different levels (skin surface, epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis). Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are recently invented second-generation lipidic carriers. The present article intends to provide an insight of composition, production, and application of these carriers in topical delivery for local and systemic effects. We also discuss key considerations for standardization and critical scale-up issues. In the last decade, the volume of work on NLCs is reflected in various research reports including patents on the development of NLCs, which gives a deeper insight of this emerging field of innovation. These carriers have significance because of their uniqueness to facilitate the interactions at interfaces with the barrier membranes. NLCs are truly a "nanosafe" carrier due to their biodegradable composition and have immense promise to overcome the challenges of dermal and transdermal delivery.