Ethosome-Based Nanocarrier Systems for Enhanced Topical Antifungal Drug Delivery: Recent Advances and Therapeutic Applications

Abstract

Topical antifungal therapy remains the primary treatment for superficial fungal infections; however, conventional formulations often show limited therapeutic effectiveness due to poor skin penetration, low drug retention, and frequent dosing requirements. Ethosome-based nanocarrier systems have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance transdermal drug delivery due to their unique composition and improved skin permeation capabilities. This review summarizes recent advances in ethosome-based nanocarriers for topical antifungal drug delivery, focusing on their structural characteristics, mechanisms of skin permeation, formulation strategies, and therapeutic applications. The literature for this review was collected from major scientific databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using relevant keywords such as ethosomes, nanocarriers, topical drug delivery, and antifungal therapy. The findings from recent studies demonstrate that ethosomal formulations significantly improve drug permeation through the stratum corneum, enhance drug retention in deeper skin layers, and reduce systemic side effects compared with conventional topical formulations. Overall, ethosome-based systems represent a promising strategy for improving antifungal therapy and may contribute to the development of more efficient and patient-friendly topical drug delivery systems in the future.