Invasome: A Novel Vesicular Drug Delivery System.

       Apurva Arabhavi*, Manisha Mane, Neha Desai, Sachin Mali, Akanksha Sawant.

Ashokrao Mane College of Pharmacy, Peth Vadgaon;416112, (M.S.) India

*Correspondence: apurvaarabhavi@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION

The skin, the largest organ, consists of three layers: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. It serves as a route for drug delivery, targeting systemic circulation and specific skin layers.[1,2,3] Topical drug delivery minimizes systemic absorption, enhancing treatment for skin diseases like skin cancer, psoriasis, eczema, and microbial infections, requiring drug localization.[4] Topical therapy for skin diseases is beneficial due to its ability to reduce the systemic burden between adverse effects and active pharmacological ingredients (API). This method also helps manage gastrointestinal side effects from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Transdermal medication is increasingly important for systemic treatment, especially for medications with high first-pass elimination rates. [5]

Advantages:

·           It is easy to use and reduce cost of treatment.

·           It is best alternative to oral drug delivery in case of unconscious patients.

·           Easy and painless administration method.

·           Avoidance of various variables related to GI tract like, gastric emptying time, pH

·           In avoidance of first pass metabolism.

·           For prolonged period of time, it provides sustained and controlled release of drugs.

·           Improve patient compliance and acceptance.

·           Reduces side effects like toxicity.

·           Directly applied on the diseased site.

Skin structure protects against water loss and environmental challenges, aiding in repair and advancement in stratum corneum structure, increasing the potential for functional topical therapies.[6] Corneocytes are surrounded by intercellular lipid lamellae, which form a brick-like structure that serves as a "mortar" to maintain the skin's permeability barrier. [7,8]

Transdermal drug delivery system:

The transdermal route is the third-largest drug delivery system, administered through the skin, avoiding blood fluctuations, drug concentration, and toxic side effects. It delivers high and low molecular weight drugs and prevents drug degradation in the gastrointestinal tract.[9,10] Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) has emerged as a desirable and well-received medication delivery technique that can reduce the restrictions related to intravenous and oral delivery methods. TDD encompasses a wide range of minimally invasive or non-invasive methods for injecting medications and vaccinations into or through the skin.[11]

Through the use of a regulated medication applied to the skin, a transdermal drug delivery system can facilitate the delivery of a specific dosage of medication into the bloodstream. The drug delivery system involves transdermal permeation, drug penetration through the stratum corneum, and drug moiety absorption through the capillary system in the dermal papillary layer.[12] In transdermal drug delivery system the drugs with consistent pharmacokinetic profiles, fewer peaks, and shorter dose intervals reduce side effects, increase patient compliance, and benefit self-administering, asleep, or vomiting patients.[13,14,15] Technologies that alter the stratum corneum's barrier characteristics fall into two categories: active/physical and passive/chemical. To alter the stratum corneum structure, passive approaches include optimizing the formulation and changing the interactions between the medication and the carrier. Using passive techniques, including chemical enhancers and emulsions, in transdermal patches is comparatively simple.[16,17]

                                                   Figure 1: Structure of Epidermis

                          Figure 2: Methods to improve the passage of drugs through the skin.