Invasomes: Potential vesicular systems for transdermal delivery of drug molecules

Abstract Vesicular drug delivery systems are fascinating carriers utilizes for drug targeting to improve their therapeutic efficacy. These vesicular systems, deliver the drugs at predetermined rate by controlling and sustaining release as per the requirement. Invasomes, liposomes, ethosomes, niosomes, transferosomes, pharmacosomes, colloidosomes, herbosomes and sphinosomes are the numerous vesicular drug delivery systems especially utilizes for transdermal drug delivery. Although these vesicular drug delivery systems have been explored extensively, however, literature on invasomes is relatively scanty. The present write up describe numerous aspects of invasomes including structural features, composition and skin penetration mechanism. Ethanol, terpenes and phospholipids are the key structural composition, systematize physicochemical properties of invasomes. Furthermore, invasomes applications in the treatment of hypertension, acne, cancer, eosinophilic pustular folliculitis, erectile dysfunction and photodynamic therapy have also been discussed. Although invasomes possess potential advantages for transdermal drug delivery, however the stability of invasome limits its value.