Transferosome as Nanocarrier for Drug Penetration Enhancement Across Skin: A Comparison with Liposome and Ethosome

Abstract

Transdermal drug delivery systems have greatly attracted investigators because of their advantages over parenteral and oral delivery methods. The skin's structure usually limits drug penetration, prompting the development of vesicular transdermal drug delivery systems like ethosomes, liposomes, niosomes, transferosomes, etc., to increase drug delivery. This review aims to explore the concept of transferosome and to compare its composition and functionality with other vesicular systems. The recent applications of transferosomes in transdermal drug delivery were also discussed. An extensive literature review was conducted to gather information on the composition of transferosomes, their mechanism of action, and their comparative advantages over other vesicular systems. Transferosomes are composed of phosphatidylcholine and an edge activator, which provide an ultra-deformable characteristic, allowing them to penetrate the skin’s inner layers via paracellular and intercellular pathways. The primary mechanism guiding transferosomes into the epidermis layer of skin is the osmotic gradient. Transferosomes overcome the limitations of liposomes and ethosomes, such as low encapsulation potential for hydrophilic molecules, leaky behaviour due to an uneven membrane, a short shelf-life, and other issues. Transferosomes have shown significant potential in transdermal drug delivery, with extensive research supporting their use in various drug categories, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antidiabetics, etc. The ability of transferosomes to penetrate the skin layers effectively makes them a promising carrier for further research in the delivery of different classes of drugs.