Evolving Trends in Nanofibers for Topical Delivery of Therapeutics in Skin Disorders

Abstract

Nanotechnology has yielded nanostructure-based drug delivery approaches, among which nanofibers have been explored and researched for the potential topical delivery of therapeutics. Nanofibers are filaments or thread-like structures in the nanometer size range that are fabricated using various polymers, such as natural or synthetic polymers or their combination. The size or diameter of the nanofibers depends upon the polymers, the techniques of preparation, and the design specification. The four major processing techniques, phase separation, self-assembly, template synthesis, and electrospinning, are most commonly used for the fabrication of nanofibers. Nanofibers have a unique structure that needs a multimethod approach to study their morphology and characterization parameters. They are gaining attention as drug delivery carriers, and the substantially vast surface area of the skin makes it a potentially promising strategy for topical drug products for various skin disorders such as psoriasis, skin cancers, skin wounds, bacterial and fungal infections, etc. However, the large-scale production of nanofibers with desired properties remains challenging, as the widely used electrospinning processes have certain limitations, such as poor yield, use of high voltage, and difficulty in achieving in situ nanofiber deposition on various substrates. This review highlights the insights into fabrication strategies, applications, recent clinical trials, and patents of nanofibers for different skin disorders in detail. Additionally, it discusses case studies of its effective utilization in the treatment of various skin disorders for a better understanding for readers.

Graphene Scaffolds: A Striking Approach to Combat Dermatophytosis

“…Determination of magnitude of infection was measured according to the number displayed in Table 2 . The infected Groups I-IV scored 3 of magnitude of infection [ 40 ]. Group I did not receive any treatment and appearance of large red scaly and erythematous dorsal surfaces of mice exhibited the pathogenicity of T. rubrum , in Figure 8 .…”

Quality-by-Design Optimization of Electrospinning Parameters to Formulate Scaffolds for Topical Inflammatory Disease Management <i>via</i> Drug Repurposing

“…Skin is susceptible to injury from various sources, including heat and mechanical forces. [1,2] The therapeutic approach to accelerate healing and reduction of scars entails applying wound dressings to cover injured skin areas. The ideal wound dressing material surpasses its role as a mere physical barrier and creates a microenvironment conducive to exhibiting excellent biocompatibility, creating a moist and adsorbent environment, and excellent scaffold formation.…”

“…The utilization of materials derived from biological macromolecules has garnered increased attention in this context due to their notable biocompatibility, biodegradability, and renewability. [2,3] Electrospinning is gaining attention for producing nanofibers (NF) with potential therapeutic benefits and lower toxicity than traditional forms. Using electrostatic force, this technology forms high-viscosity polymer solutions into fibers.…”

Electrospun PCL/PVA Coaxial Nanofibers with Embedded Titanium Dioxide and Magnetic Nanoparticles for Stabilization and Controlled Release of Dithranol for Therapy of Psoriasis

“…Electrospinning is a process used to create ultrafin fibers, typically with diameters in the range of a few nanometers to several micrometers It involves the use of an electric field to stretch and draw a polymer solution into a thin fiber. The process is commonly used in materials science, biomedicine, and other fields t create materials with unique properties for improving the therapy of psoriasis [41,42 including using drugs such as calcipotriol and tazarotene [43], tazarotene and magneti nanoparticles [44], nanofiber-mediated hyperthermia [45], methotrexate and hyperthermia [46], and tretinoin [47]. The electrospinning process can be modified t These technologies include dendrimers [28], nanoemulsions [29], nanostructured lipid gels [30], liposomes [31], polymer-based nanoparticles [32], and niosomes [33,34].…”