title: Flexible polymerosomes--an alternative vehicle for topical delivery.
abstract: Self-assembled vesicles of poly(caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(caprolactone) co-polymer of 122+/-20 nm were prepared by solvent evaporation method and analyzed morphologically by TEM and AFM. Transmission electron micrographs showed the presence of double-walled deformable structures with average wall thickness of 25 nm. AFM depicted somewhat flattened tops resembling a 'pancake' further confirming the flexibility of the nanocarriers. Permeation studies of fluorescently labelled vesicles in cadaver epidermis confirmed their presence across the stratum corneum within 2h of application and accumulation in the deeper layers thereafter. The flexible nature of these nanosystems makes them an efficient alternative to liposomes for targeting melanomas and basal cell carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rachna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rastogi
authors.forename: Sneh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Veena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koul
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008970:Molecular Weight; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018583:Pliability; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012869:Skin Absorption; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes