Do Nanoparticles Have a Future in Dermal Drug Delivery?

The document discussed the potential of nanoparticles in dermal drug delivery, highlighting their advantages such as improved drug solubility, stability, and controlled release. Despite these benefits, the ability of nanoparticles to penetrate the skin's protective barriers, particularly the stratum corneum and hair follicles, remained controversial. Studies showed that nanoparticles could penetrate deeper into hair follicles, especially when the skin barrier was compromised, but not into the viable epidermis or dermis. The research suggested that while nanoparticles could enhance drug delivery to hair follicles, their transfollicular penetration into living skin cells was limited. A new strategy involved using nanoparticles with controlled release mechanisms to deliver drugs into hair follicles, where they could then penetrate the epidermis. This approach aimed to improve treatment efficiency by releasing drugs at specific sites and times.