Transdermal drug delivery with photomechanical waves

Photomechanical waves (PWs) have been shown to permeabilize the stratum corneum (SC) in vivo and facilitate the transport of macromolecules into the viable epidermis and dermis. Furthermore, the barrier function of the stratum corneum recovers. Application of these waves to human volunteers has established that they do not cause any pain or discomfort and do not damage or change the appearance of the skin. These attributes of PWs make them potentially useful for transdermal drug delivery. The advantage of topical drug delivery is that it enhances the therapeutic effect of the drug while minimizing systemic side effects as well as reducing systemic deactivation or degradation of the drug. There are four important issues that need to be studied in order to determine the efficacy of photomechanical waves as a method for transdermal drug delivery. They are: 1. Penetration depth of the drug; 2. Molecular size that can be delivered through the SC; 3. Dosimetry, the amount of the drug that can be delivered into the epidermis and dermis; and 4. The mechanism(s) of the SC permeabilization. We have some partial answers to these questions