Liposomes and niosomes as topical drug delivery systems.

The skin acts as a major target as well as a principle barrier for topical/transdermal (TT) drug delivery. The stratum corneum plays a crucial role in barrier function for TT drug delivery. Despite major research and development efforts in TT systems and the advantages of these routes, low stratum corneum permeability limits the usefulness of topical drug delivery. To overcome this, methods have been assessed to increase permeation. One controversial method is the use of vesicular systems, such as liposomes and niosomes, whose effectiveness depends on their physicochemical properties. This review focuses on the effect of liposomes and niosomes on enhancing drug penetration, and defines the effect of composition, size and type of the vesicular system on TT delivery. Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel