Toward Application of Microsponges in Transdermal Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) is a dosage form designed to deliver drug through skin by topical route of administration to the systemic circulation or for local treatment. As a new type of dosage form, TDDS has a number of special merits, but inevitably at the same time it possess some distinct disadvantages, such as low permeability and the drug mostly enter the systemic vascular. Microsponges are a kind of micro-sized and polyporous particles which can entrap effective constituents, and are biologically safe. And Microsponges also exhibit distinctive advantage at the aspect of drug release. The TDDS can enhance drug stability, decrease side effects, improve bioavailability and so forth, which has been used mostly through topical and oral administration, and applied broadly in medical and cosmetic field. This review presents application of microsponges in TDDS including its preparation, properties and drug-released studies in the recent advancements.