Targeting Acne: Development of Monensin-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers.

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Dermatology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) complicates acne vulgaris treatment, necessitating novel antibacterial therapies.
• Developing effective topical delivery systems is crucial for managing skin infections like acne.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of monensin (MON) against acne pathogens.
• To develop and evaluate monensin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (MON-NLCs) for targeted topical delivery in acne treatment.

Main Methods:

• Formulation and optimization of MON-NLCs using a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach.
• Evaluation of antibacterial activity against resistant *C. acnes*, *S. aureus*, and *S. epidermidis* using agar dilution.
• Ex vivo skin deposition studies and cytotoxicity assays on keratinocytes.

Main Results:

• Optimized MON-NLCs achieved a particle size of 96.65 nm, PDI of 0.13, and zeta potential of -36.50 mV.
• MON-NLCs and their gel formulation demonstrated significant epidermal deposition, unlike plain MON dispersion.
• Effective antibacterial activity was observed against *C. acnes* isolates, with MON-NLCs showing good safety profiles.

Conclusions:

• Monensin exhibits novel efficacy against resistant acne-causing pathogens.
• MON-NLCs provide effective targeted delivery to the epidermal layer, presenting a viable topical treatment for acne.