Investigation of Follicular and Non-Follicular Pathways for Polyarginine and Oleic Acid-Modified Nanoparticles

The 2012 study investigated the skin permeation pathways of cell penetrating peptide (CPP) modified lipid nanoparticles and oleic acid modified polymeric nanoparticles. It was found that these surface-modified nanoparticles significantly increased the permeation of ibuprofen through the skin, with higher levels observed in the epidermis and dermis compared to controls. The hair follicles were determined to play a minor role in the permeation process, contributing less than 5%. The study also demonstrated that the modified nanoparticles were effective in treating allergic contact dermatitis, suggesting a potential for improved therapeutic responses in inflammatory skin diseases. The in vitro skin permeation studies involved sample sizes of n=6 for differential stripping and n=12 for permeation into the receiver compartment. The conclusion was that the increased skin permeation of surface-modified nanoparticles occurs through both follicular and non-follicular pathways, with non-follicular pathways being predominant.