Novel vesicular and particulate drug delivery systems for topical treatment of acne

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of the antiacne topical drugs is well established. The local side effects, however, mainly cutaneous irritation, erythema, dryness, peeling and scaling, remain major problems. Novel vesicular and particulate drug delivery systems have been proposed to reduce the side effects of drugs commonly used in the topical treatment of acne. OBJECTIVE: This review focuses on the development and evaluation of antiacne drug-loaded vesicular and particulate delivery systems (liposomes, polymeric microspheres and solid lipid nanoparticles) for topical treatment, their advantages and challenges. METHODS: All the literature available was reviewed to highlight the potential of these novel systems for the topical treatment of acne. CONCLUSION: The encapsulation of antiacne drugs in vesicular and particulate delivery systems represents an innovative alternative to minimize side effects, while preserving their efficacy. This can be obtained by the capacity of these systems to provide controlled release or to improve the drug penetration into skin or even into the pilosebaceous unit.