Nanofiber as a novel vehicle for transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents: challenges and opportunities

Background: Transdermal delivery of drugs is a quite challenging task for pharmaceutical scientists. The transdermal route is preferred over the oral route due to various advantages like avoidance of the first-pass effect, non-invasiveness, and high patient compliance. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an effective carrier system that enables the effective passage of the drug through the dermal barrier. Main body of abstract: Various novel drug delivery systems are used to enhance the permeation of a variety of drugs through the skin barrier. Researchers around the globe have explored nanofibers for the transdermal delivery of various therapeutic agents. Nanofibers are designed to have a high concentration of therapeutic agents in them promoting their flux through various skin layers. Polymeric nanofibers can be explored for the loading of both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. Biopolymer-based nanofibers have been also explored for transdermal delivery.They are capable of controlling the release of therapeutic agents for a prolonged time. Short conclusion: The literature presented in this review paper provides significant proof that nanofibers will have an intense impact on the transdermal delivery of different bioactive molecules in the future.