"TRANSDERMAL PATCHES WITH NANO-CARRIERS"

Transdermal drug delivery offers an alternative route beyond oral and parenteral routes. It releases drug in a sustained way, makes more drug bioavailable where it is absorbed and prevents first-pass metabolism. The stratum corneum layer of the skin presents a barrier to drug diffusion. Nanocarriers have been used inside transdermal patches to overcome this barrier. Researchers studied various types of nanocarriers such as liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, nano-emulsions and micelles for their ability to improve skin penetration through their nanoscale size, modifiable surface properties, and capacity to entrap both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds. These can incorporate into the patch matrix to achieve controlled release that targets and improves bioavailability then reduces dosage frequency. Production of nanocarriers that can easily interact with skin lipids, cause transient structural perturbation within the skin, and exploit skin follicles for penetration enhancement has been intensively investigated. The development of new, effective manufacturing techniques in a non-solvent manner, or using stimuli-responsive approaches, is a burgeoning area of development for transport enhancement for nano-enabled transdermal systems. Scale-up, shelf-life stability, regulatory requirements, and safety studies still pose issues and nanocarrier design, nanomaterial-skin interactions, and clinical effectiveness still need to advance for nanocarrier-based transdermal patches to translate successfully into clinical practice. Overall, the transdermal patch and nanocarrier system provides an innovative and rapidly evolving platform with the potential to improve drug delivery, increase the types of molecules that can be delivered and improve therapeutic outcomes in many clinical indications.