Transferosomes as a Novel Therapeutic Delivery System: A Review

Abstract

The poor penetration rate of the skin as a natural barrier makes transdermal drug delivery problematic. To increase transdermal dispersion of bioactives, electrophoresis, iontophoresis, chemical permeation enhancers, microneedles, sonophoresis, and vesicular systems such as liposomes, niosomes, elastic liposomes such as ethosomes, and transferosomes have all been used. Among these, transferosomes appear to be a promising option. Transferosomes are elastomeric or deformable vesicles that were originally discovered in the early 1990s. They're novel vesicular drug carrier system composed of phospholipid, surfactant, and water that improves transdermal drug delivery. Because of their low toxicity, biodegradability, ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules, ability to prolong the drug's existence in the systemic circulation by encapsulation in vesicles, ability to target organs and tissues, and ability to reduce drug toxicity while increasing bioavailability, these vesicles are preferred over others. These vesicles undergo deformation, changes its shape and easily penetrates through the skin pores. There are two phases in any technique for preparing transferosomes. First, a thin film is hydrated before being sonicated to the required size; next, sonicated vesicles are homogenized by extrusion through a polycarbonate membrane. Transferosomes are evaluated for its entrapment efficiency, their drug content , in-vitro drug release, degree of deformability, turbidity, surface charge and morphology. Transferosomes are said to have a number of applications like delivery of vaccines,proteins, Anti-cancer drugs,anesthetics,herbal drugs and has better patient compliance,improved bio-availability and site-specific delivery and can serve as an emerging tool for transdermal delivery of almost all drugs and bio-actives.