Trends in nanotechnology-based delivery systems for dermal targeting of drugs: an enticing approach to offset psoriasis

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Psoriasis is identified as an inflammatory, chronic, auto-immune disease requiring long-term treatment, imposing an unnecessary burden on the patient. A significant impediment for the treatment of dermatological disorders via transdermal route is the inability of drug molecules to cross the stratum corneum (SC), as the larger size of drug molecules inhibits them to pervade into the skin, thus hampering their absorption. Some drugs exhibit systemic side-effects, which curbs patient compliance, resulting in treatment discontinuation.

Areas covered

This review aims to describe the detailed study such as demographic status, molecular factors of psoriasis, treatment with emerging combination therapy and role of nanotechnology tools in the treatment of psoriasis.

Expert opinion

To overcome problems related to the conventional drug delivery system, several nanotechnology-based formulations have been devised to enhance bioavailability, drug permeation and accumulation in the skin. Nano-formulations provide better permeation, targeted delivery and enhanced efficacy, thus gaining enormous popularity for cutaneous disorders. This pervasive review provides an overview of the pathophysiology of the disease, its molecular targets and the available herbal, synthetic and combination treatment modalities. The review also systematizes recent works utilizing nano-carriers to improve the treatment denouement of psoriasis.

KEYWORDS:

• T-lymphocytes
• molecular targets
• nano-carriers
• polymeric nanoparticles
• nanostructured lipid carriers
• transferosomes

Article highlights

• The review presents the entire roadmap of psoriasis from its molecular mechanism to its treatment.

• It contains the details of all the molecular factors responsible for causing psoriasis along with their defined roles and the demographic distribution of the disease.

• It contains details of every herbal and synthetic drug that has been employed for treating psoriasis.

• It contains various herbal-herbal, synthetic-synthetic and herbal-synthetic drug combinations that have been employed for the treatment of psoriasis.

• It contains all the nanotechnology-based tools that have been utilized to treat psoriasis.

• Every class of nano-based delivery system that have been used to treat psoriasis has been discussed.

• The future prospective of nanotechnology containing details of how its employment can add benefits to further treatment has been included in this review.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

The supporting grant is being given by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Government of India for this research work.