Biomaterials for Improving Skin Penetration in Treatment of Skin Cancer

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Skin cancer is a prevalent malignancy with increasing incidence worldwide.
• Conventional topical therapies for skin cancer face limitations due to the skin's barrier function, restricting drug penetration.
• The societal burden of skin cancer is significant, necessitating improved treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the structural and physiological challenges associated with topical drug delivery to the skin.
• To summarize the development of functional biomaterials designed to enhance skin drug penetration.
• To discuss formulation strategies, drug properties, release mechanisms, limitations, and future perspectives in topical skin cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of structural and physiological challenges in topical delivery.
• Summary of functional biomaterials developed for enhanced skin drug penetration.
• Discussion of formulation strategies, drug properties, and release mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The skin barrier presents significant structural and physiological hurdles to effective topical drug delivery.
• Functional biomaterials show promise in overcoming these barriers to enhance drug penetration.
• Consideration of drug properties and release mechanisms is crucial for effective formulation.

Conclusions:

• Biomaterial-based strategies offer a promising avenue for improving topical drug delivery for skin cancer treatment.
• Overcoming the skin barrier is critical for enhancing the efficacy of topical therapies.
• Future research should focus on optimizing formulations and understanding release kinetics for advanced biomaterials.