A research led by the University of Porto in collaboration with the ALBA Synchrotron has studied for the first time the interaction of nanoparticles with the skin, using synchrotron light at the MIRAS beamline. The findings unveil the role of the different skin components and the mechanism of the permeation enhancement conferred with nanoparticles, made from marine polymers. A nano delivery system application in the skin will reduce the dosage needed due to controlled drug delivery and allow newer and better-targeting therapeutic strategies towards cutaneous administration.
Cutaneous drug delivery allows the administration of therapeutic and cosmetic agents through the skin. Advantages of this administration route include high patient compliance, avoidance of high concentration levels of the drug when reaching systemic circulation, and far fewer side effects compared to other administration routes.
Still, the peculiar skin structure assures protection to the human organism and hampers drug delivery. To overcome this issue, skin permeation enhancers, such as nanoparticles, can be used. They are pharmacologically inactive molecules that can increase skin permeability by interacting with the stratum corneum, the first layer of the epidermis, which is the outermost layer of the skin. However, the mechanisms of nanoparticles’ interaction with the skin structure are still unknown.
A research project led by the University of Porto (Portugal) in collaboration with the ALBA Synchrotron has studied for the first time the interaction of polymeric nanoparticles with the skin, using synchrotron light.
Read more on the ALBA website
Image: Nanoparticles made visible on human skin – 3D Rendering
Credit: Adobe Stock
