Vesicular systems for dermal and transdermal drug delivery

Abstract

Dermal/transdermal drug delivery continues to grow in importance as a means of enhancing treatment activity while reducing toxicity by avoiding the systemic absorption of the drug. At the same time, this has led to the adjustment of a wide diversity of drug carriers. This paper begins with a review of the skin, including its structure and the parameters that influence drug diffusion, followed by strategies to improve dermal drug delivery. Of the multitude of existing carriers, we will focus on the most advanced vectors in dermal/transdermal delivery, and in particular, on vesicular systems. This review will present the state of the art as well as the new trends in this domain. Through the description of these systems, we will try to obtain information on the ideal properties that the carrier must have in order to improve the cutaneous and transcutaneous penetration of the drug.