DENDRIMERS AS NOVEL NANOCARRIERS IN TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS

Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems (TDDS) are widely used because they are easy to administer, improve patient compliance, and provide controlled and sustained drug release with fewer systemic side effects. However, the main limitation of TDDS is the poor permeation of drugs through the skin. The outermost skin layer, the stratum corneum, acts as a strong protective barrier that restricts the penetration of many drugs. To overcome this challenge, researchers have developed nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems. Among these, dendrimers have gained significant attention. Dendrimers are highly branched polymeric nanostructures with a well-defined architecture, allowing high drug loading capacity, improved solubility, and enhanced skin permeation. Their unique structure also enables better interaction with biological membranes, making them effective carriers for transdermal drug delivery.