TRANSFEROSOMES IN TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM: STRUCTURE, MECHANISM AND THERAPEUTICS

Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) have gained significant attention as a non-invasive alternative to conventional oral and parenteral drug administration, as they bypass first-pass metabolism, reduce gastrointestinal degradation and improve patient compliance. Despite these advantages, the highly protective nature of the stratum corneum restricts efficient drug permeation through the skin. To address this limitation, transferosomes have been developed as ultra-deformable vesicular carriers capable of enhancing transdermal drug delivery. Transferosomes consist of phospholipids combined with edge activators that provide exceptional membrane elasticity, allowing the vesicles to deform and pass through narrow intercellular skin pores without disruption. Their movement across the skin is primarily driven by hydration and osmotic gradients rather than concentration- dependent diffusion. Various preparation methods such as rotary film evaporation, reverse phase evaporation, ethanol injection, vortex-sonication, and freeze–thaw techniques have been employed to produce stable and efficient transferosomal formulations. These carriers exhibit high entrapment efficiency and are capable of delivering both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. Transferosomes have demonstrated promising applications in the transdermal delivery of insulin, proteins, peptides, anticancer agents, corticosteroids and herbal drugs. Although challenges related to stability, scalability, and cost remain, transferosomes represent a versatile and advanced drug delivery system with significant future potential.