Advance in the research of novel penetration enhancers and their mechanisms of action
YUAN Yuan
ZHANG Li
CHEN Xiao
Abstract：The outermost layer of human skin, the stratum corneum, is responsible for its barrier function. Before topically administered drugs act either dermally or transdermally, they have to penetrate into the deeper skin layers or permeate the skin. However, most topically administered drugs do not have the ability to penetrate the stratum comeum. Many approaches have been employed to breach the stratum corneum, of which, the most widely used one is chemical penetration enhancers. In addition to the traditional alcohols, sulphoxides, fatty acids, esters, azone, polyoles and so on, several representative new chemical enhancers have been discovered or synthesized. This article reviewed the novel penetration enhancers reported recently to provide clues for synthesizing and discov-crying safer and more efficient penetration enhancers.
Keywords：transdermal drug delivery systempenetration enhancerspercutaneous penetration
Publication Date：2010-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-14(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 118-122 )