Liposomes and Ethosomes: Comparative Potential in Enhancing Skin Permeability for Therapeutic and Cosmetic Applications

作者：Ewelina Musielak, V. Krajka-Kuźniak · 发表于：Cosmetics · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3390/cosmetics11060191 · 被引用次数：58

Skin diseases are a common health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Effective treatment often depends on the precise delivery of drugs to the affected areas. One promising approach is currently the transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS), whose significant challenge is the poor penetration of many compounds into the skin due to the stratum corneum (SC), which acts as a formidable barrier. To overcome this limitation, nanocarriers have emerged as a highly effective alternative. This review discusses the use of liposomes and ethosomes for transdermal drug delivery. Liposomes are micro- or nanostructures consisting of a lipid bilayer surrounding an aqueous core. They facilitate transdermal drug penetration and may be advantageous for site-specific targeting. Some methods of treating skin diseases involve incorporating drugs such as acyclovir, dithranol, and tretinoin or bioactive compounds such as fluconazole, melanin, glycolic acid, kojic acid, and CoQ10 into nanocarriers. The inability of liposomes to pass through the narrowed intercellular channels of the stratum corneum led to the invention of lipid-based vesicular systems such as ethosomes. They are structurally similar to conventional liposomes, as they are prepared from phospholipids, but they contain a high ethanol concentration. Ethosomes are noninvasive carriers that allow drugs to reach the deep layers of the skin. Examples of commonly used substances and drugs combined with ethosomes in cosmetics includ...