Polymeric Nanoparticles-Embedded Organogel for Roxithromycin Delivery to Hair Follicles

In the 2014 study, researchers developed a pluronic lecithin organogel (PLO) containing roxithromycin (ROX)-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) for targeted delivery to hair follicles. The NPs, made from poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL), were approximately 300 nm in size and exhibited a slightly negative zeta potential, which is important for stability. The study showed that the NPs remained stable over a short-term period at different temperatures and that the encapsulation efficiency of ROX increased with the drug/polymer ratio. In vitro drug release studies indicated a biphasic release pattern. Ex vivo human skin penetration studies demonstrated that the NPs could reach deep into the hair follicles, but the organogel did not significantly improve penetration along the hair shaft compared to an aqueous suspension of NPs. The study concluded that polymeric NPs could be used for preferential targeting to the pilosebaceous unit and may be effective in treating conditions like androgenetic alopecia due to ROX's anti-apoptotic properties. The study was supported by grants for young scientists at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.