Transferosomes: An Emerging Approach for Enhanced Transdermal Drug Delivery

Author

G L Yashashwini, Subhan Sab, Kishan H D, Sachin Hombale


Abstract

 Transdermal drug delivery has emerged as an effective alternative to conventional oral and parenteral routes because it enhances patient compliance while avoiding first-pass hepatic metabolism and gastrointestinal degradation. Among the various vesicular carrier systems developed for transdermal delivery, transferosomes have gained considerable attention owing to their exceptional flexibility and superior skin-penetrating ability. Transferosomes are ultradeformable lipid vesicles composed primarily of phospholipids and edge activators that enable them to traverse the narrow intercellular pathways of the stratum corneum without disrupting skin integrity. Their unique structural characteristics facilitate the efficient encapsulation and delivery of both hydrophilic and lipophilic therapeutic agents, thereby improving drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, transferosomes have been extensively investigated for the transdermal administration of a wide range of drugs, including anti-inflammatory agents, antivirals, anticancer drugs, proteins, peptides, and herbal compounds. This review summarizes the composition, mechanism of skin penetration, formulation approaches, characterization methods, advantages, limitations, and diverse pharmaceutical applications of transferosomes. Recent advances and future prospects of transferosome-based drug delivery systems are also discussed, highlighting their potential as promising nanocarriers for targeted and controlled transdermal therapy.



Keywords

Transferosomes, Transdermal drug delivery system, Ultradeformable vesicles, Nanocarriers, Skin permeation, Targeted drug delivery.



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References


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