Biodegradable Polymer Based Nanoparticles: Dermal and Transdermal Drug Delivery

Skin is an extensively employed route for drug delivery to provide the local and systemic effects. Stratum corneum (SC) is the upper layer of the skin, which makes a natural physical obstacle against penetration of the drugs. Polymer based nanoparticles are one of the approach to overcome this barrier. Biodegradable polymers are ideal carriers to a broad range of drugs for therapeutic applications. The biodegradable polymer based nanoparticles reduce the strength, dosing period and side effects of pharmaceutical dosage forms. Furthermore, these polymers based nanoparticles show interesting applications in novel drug delivery systems due to their versatility and harmless degradation. The smart polymers might release the captured molecule in response to a particular physiological trigger (pH, temperature etc.) in a proper time and site of action. The choice of polymer based nanoparticles depends on the skin condition to be treated, the type of drug to be loaded and the desired drug release profile.