Ultra-stabilized transethosomal gel for co-delivery of 5-fluorouracil and carvedilol: cytotoxicity and in vivo studies in skin cancer

Objective Skin cancer is a widespread malignancy requiring advanced strategies to address poor skin permeation, drug resistance, and low local bioavailability. This study aimed to develop and evaluate 5-fluorouracil and carvedilol loaded transethosomal (FU–CVD–TEs) gel for enhanced targeted skin cancer therapy.Significance Conventional topical treatments often show inadequate dermal penetration and retention. The dual-drug transethosomal platform offers a novel approach to improve permeation, achieve sustained release, and enhance synergistic anti-cancer effects, which has not been previously reported for this drug combination in melanoma therapy.Methods FU–CVD-loaded transethosomes were prepared using Lipoid S100, Tween-80, polyvinyl alcohol, and ethanol. Vesicles were characterized using TEM, SEM, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optimized FU–CVD–TEs were incorporated into a Carbopol 934 with Poloxamer 188 hybrid gel and evaluated for rheology, dermatokinetics, and in vitro cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. In vivo studies in Wistar rats assessed dermal deposition, tumor suppression, and skin tolerability.Results FU–CVD–TEs showed high entrapment efficiency, nanoscale size, and sustained release following Higuchi kinetics (R2 = 0.989). The hybrid gel displayed viscoelastic behavior. In vitro formulation enhanced ROS generation, induced G1-phase arrest and apoptosis, and showed significantly reduced IC50. In vivo studies demonstrated markedly improved dermal deposition, strong tumor suppression, and excellent skin safety compared with conventional formulations.Conclusion The FU–CVD–TEs hybrid gel enhanced cutaneous permeation, therapeutic efficacy, and tumor-regression potential while maintaining a favorable safety profile. This strategy represents a promising and effective approach for melanoma treatment, warranting further molecular and clinical investigations.