Overcoming Skin Barrier with Transfersomes: Opportunities, Challenges, and Applications

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) offer advantages like avoiding first-pass metabolism and sustained drug release.
• Skin's impermeability is a major challenge for delivering drugs via TDDS.
• Vesicular systems, including transfersomes, are explored to enhance transdermal permeation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the advantages and limitations of transfersomes for transdermal drug delivery.
• To discuss the mechanism of skin penetration by transfersomes.
• To highlight applications in delivering anticancer, antidiabetic, NSAIDs, herbal drugs, and for transdermal immunization.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect.
• Review of existing studies on transfersome preparation and application.
• Analysis of data on drug delivery efficacy and skin penetration.

Main Results:

• Transfersomes exhibit superior flexibility and skin penetration compared to other vesicular systems.
• They are effective in delivering both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs transdermally.
• Applications demonstrated for anticancer agents, insulin, NSAIDs, herbal medicines, and immunization.

Conclusions:

• Transfersomes represent a promising platform for advanced transdermal drug delivery.
• Their enhanced stability and penetration capability facilitate systemic drug transport.
• Transfersomal gels show potential for improved transdermal medicine administration.