Topical diseases are treated with oral and conventional topical formulations till date. Both oral and topical routes face many challenges such as poor absorption, high metabolism, toxicity, and drug-drug interactions. Conventional topical dosage forms like creams, lotions, and gels have failed to show controlled drug release. Literature reports indicated that more than 1.5 lakh (approximate) people lost their lives due to fungal infections and several lakhs of the population are affected. Even then, it is a neglected subject by public health authorities, and while most of the deaths from fungal diseases can be stopped. Globally, it is estimated that over 30 lakh cases of pulmonary Aspergillosis, 7 lakh cases of Candidiasis, 2.5 lakh cases of Aspergillosis, 5 lakh cases of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, and many more occur annually. Nanomedicines play a key role in reducing the number of patients coming up with fungal infections. A small-sized drug can easily penetrate the micropores of the skin and show desirable results. Nanomedicines rely on various nanomaterials (lipidic carriers, metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, etc.) for their therapeutic efficacy. Nanomaterials can facilitate efficient topical drug delivery by increased penetration, enhanced safety and efficacy, and sustained and targeted release of drugs. The review summarizes the basics of nanomedicine with respect to topical delivery and various nanomaterials for better therapeutics of the fungal infections of the skin.
Key words: nanoparticles, nanotubes, candidiasis, fungal, topical formulation, skin permeation
|
