Nanocapsules for drug delivery through the skin barrier by tissue-tolerable plasma

For many years, several attempts have been made to enhance skin penetration by chemical, physical or mechanical manipulation to reduce the barrier function of the skin. The present study demonstrates the possibility of penetration enhancement for 400 nm sized nanocapsules loaded with a model drug consisting of a fluorescent dye by the application of tissue-tolerable plasma (TTP). Therefore, the stability of the nanocapsules and their penetration through the skin barrier prior to and in combination with TTP application was evaluated. The results revealed that the penetration of the nanocapsules could be effectively enhanced when applied in combination with TTP, hence delivering the model drug unaffected by plasma into deeper skin layers. The stability testing showed no significant structural changes of the nanocapsules after contact with TTP. Thus, the present study introduces a new strategy for the penetration enhancement of substances by the combined utilization of nanocapsules and TTP.