title: Topical and cutaneous delivery using nanosystems.
abstract: The goal of topical and cutaneous delivery is to deliver therapeutic and other substances to a desired target site in the skin at appropriate doses to achieve a safe and efficacious outcome. Normally, however, when the stratum corneum is intact and the skin barrier is uncompromised, this is limited to molecules that are relatively lipophilic, small and uncharged, thereby excluding many potentially useful therapeutic peptides, proteins, vaccines, gene fragments or drug-carrying particles. In this review we will describe how nanosystems are being increasingly exploited for topical and cutaneous delivery, particularly for these previously difficult substances. This is also being driven by the development of novel technologies, which include minimally invasive delivery systems and more precise fabrication techniques. While there is a vast array of nanosystems under development and many undergoing advanced clinical trials, relatively few have achieved full translation to clinical practice. This slow uptake may be due, in part, to the need for a rigorous demonstration of safety in these new nanotechnologies. Some of the safety aspects associated with nanosystems will be considered in this review.
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia; School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address: m.roberts@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namjoshi
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yousef
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alinaghi
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia; School of Pharmacy, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Haridass
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abd
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Leite-Silva
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Hae
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Research Centre, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, QLD, 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Grice
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D003102:Colloids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012869:Skin Absorption
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D004337:Drug Carriers
keywords: Colloidal nanocarrier systems; Cutaneous delivery; Nanoparticles; Nanosystems; Topical delivery