Liposomes as carriers for topical and transdermal delivery.

The delivery of active agents to the skin by liposome carriers is an interdisciplinary topic of great interest today. Data accumulated over the last decade strongly point to important advantages of these drug delivery systems. A symposium devoted to classic and new approaches in the use of liposomal systems was organized and chaired by M. Mezei and E. Touitou as a part of the Jerusalem Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacology, held on May 24-30, 1992, in Jerusalem, Israel. The presentations focused on liposomes as tools in the mechanistic study of absorption promoters (T. Nagai), drug liposomal delivery in the skin strata and structures (N. Weiner), interaction of liposomes and niosomes with the human skin (H.E. Junginger), and design and characterization of caffeine liposomal systems for use in hyperproliferative diseases (E. Touitou). Mezei reviewed biodisposition and clinical studies on liposomal dosage forms containing various drugs.