Topical electrospun patches loaded with oil for effective gamma linoleic acid transport and skin hydration towards atopic dermatitis skincare

Abstract Atopic dermatitis is a common disease that affects around 20 % of children. One of the supportive therapies is long-term skin hydration which can be obtained by applying specially designed patches. Therefore, in this work, polyimide (PI) electrospun membranes as patches for atopic skin hydration were studied. PI fibers of diameter 500 ± 70 nm were assessed for biocompatibility using murine fibroblasts, NIH 3T3, and evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and MTS assay. The biocompatible PI membranes were mechanically tested and showed very high stretchability, above 350 %. These features, combined with a high membrane porosity of 95.6 %, make them excellent materials for skin patches. By loading the membranes with 10 µl blackcurrant seed oil rich in 11–19 % of gamma linoleic acid (GLA), we obtained skin patches that allow long-term hydration. Patches were assessed in vivo with skin hydration tests over 6 h and compared to numerical simulation of GLA release to the skin. The results obtained indicate the great potential of the electrospun PI patches for atopic skin care applications.