Liposomal Encapsulation of
Dermatological Active Substances
Encapsulation of dermatological active substances in liposomes was the subject of a lecture by professor Dr. Alfred Fahr from the Institut fr Pharmazeutische Technologie (Institute for Pharmazeutical Technology) of Jena University. The crucial factor for the infiltration of the liposomes in deeper skin layers is their formability. An additional driving force is obviously the moisture gradient between skin and ambiance. Liposomal dermatic preparations should therefore not be applied under occlusive conditions.
Surprisingly, Fahr determined in his tests at model systems with excised human skin from plastic surgery that by encapsulation in fluid liposomes not only the penetration of hydrophilic but also the penetration of in particular lipophilic pharmaceuticals can be enhanced. With the example of the hardly water-soluble immuno suppressant Ciclosporin A this has also been shown in an animal model for Alopecia areata: hairless rats which had been topically treated with liposomally encapsulated Ciclosporin A regained a normal fur growth within only a few weeks. Other preparations in which Cyclosporin A had been applied in presence of classical penetration agents as alcohol did however not show any effect at the same test conditions.
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Notice the last two sentences.