Pluronic® F127 stabilized reduced graphene oxide hydrogel for the treatment of psoriasis: In vitro and in vivo studies

Abstract Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can be effectively treated using topical cyclosporine. However, topical delivery is extremely challenging owing to the physicochemical nature of cyclosporine, as well as the thick psoriatic stratum corneum. In the present study, for the first time, we attempted to formulate a cyclosporine-loaded Pluronic® F127 stabilized reduced graphene oxide hydrogel to improve cyclosporine permeation and retention in the affected tissue for effective psoriasis treatment. The attachment of Pluronic® F127 on reduced graphene oxide was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The scanning electron microscopy image demonstrated a wrinkled and flattened nanosheet surface with Pluronic® F127 micelles. Ex vivo permeation data demonstrated an increase in cyclosporine permeation with increasing levels of reduced graphene oxide in the hydrogel. The hydrogel showed sufficient mechanical properties (texture analyzer report) for topical application, without any sign of irritation on rabbit skin. In the drug retention study, the C-P-rGO-500 hydrogel demonstrated maximum drug trapping inside the skin tissue. In the efficacy study in mice, the C-P-rGO-500 hydrogel decreased hyperplasia and tissue damage in psoriatic skin. Thus, the ability of the reduced graphene oxide nanocarrier to improve cyclosporine permeation, as well as retention in skin tissue, could be successfully utilized for effective psoriasis treatment, minimizing side effects encountered with oral and systemic routes.