Title : Porous biodegradable particles for efficient transfollicular drug delivery
Abstract:
Porous calcium carbonate submicron particles are proposed as effective carriers for transdermal drug transportation. Administration of bioactive substances via skin appendages arouses a scientific interest regarding to reduced systemic toxicity in terms of targeted delivery. A drug transportation to different regions of the hair follicle holds out the perspective for localized therapy, since they are the sites of interest for regenerative medicine, immunomodulation and aetiology of androgenetic alopecia, acne and other sebaceous gland dysfunctions. In the meantime, a dense capillary network ensures the systemic uptake of transported drug opening up perspectives beyond the scope of dermatology.
The proposing carriers are biodegradable and pH sensitive as they can be decomposed at pH bellow 6.5. Furthermore, the particles have a large surface area and high drug payload ability. The transdermal transportation of such carriers loaded with a fluorescent dye was studied in vivo after their topical application in rats. The optimal protocol for their efficient intrafollicular delivery was elaborated. A deep penetration of the carriers along with plentiful follicle filling was demonstrated using optical coherence tomography and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The process of intrafollicular particle degradation and diffusion of the fluorescent payload was studied in vivo in rats. The total degradation of CaCO3 particles within 12 days was demonstrated together with the storage of the fluorescent dye inside the hair follicles up to 2 weeks. The 3-week investigation of the dye elimination kinetics in urine of experimental animals has proved out these data.
By this means, CaCO3 submicron carriers provide efficient transfollicular delivery of compounds with consequent prolonged degradation-driven in situ release of delivered payload. This effect allows the prolongation of therapeutic intervention for more than 12 days revealing the promising outlook of the proposed system for transdermal drug transportation.
Audience take away:
• A novel non-invasive protocol for an efficient drug delivery to the deepest regions of hair follicles can be used in scientific and medical practice.
• Practical approaches towards the investigation of skin appendages using such techniques as scanning electron microscopy, optical coherence tomography and confocal laser scanning microscopy, can be applied in future studies.
• Effective biodegradable drug carrier system can be adopted for other administration routes.
