Innovative Nanomedicine Approaches for Psoriasis: Advancements, Challenges, and Future Directions

Abstract

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease marked by excessive keratinocyte proliferation and aberrant activation of immune cells, resulting in clinical manifestations such as erythema, pruritus, and skin scaling. Although current treatments such as biologics, immunosuppressants, and phototherapy have demonstrated certain therapeutic efficacy, their application remains constrained by systemic side effects, limited drug permeability, and reduced long-term tolerability. Furthermore, the high relapse rate and suboptimal patient compliance contribute to considerable physical and psychological burdens. In recent years, nanomedicines have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for psoriasis due to their unique physicochemical properties, including small size, high payload, controllable release, and targeted delivery. By selectively modulating key cellular components, cytokines, and signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, nanomedicines have shown potential to achieve targeted, synergistic, and sustained therapeutic effects that are often difficult to attain with conventional formulations. This review aims to summarize recent advances in nanomedicine-based therapies for psoriasis, focusing on diverse therapeutic targets, thereby offering novel perspectives and directions for future development in this field.