Transfersomes: A versatile tool for drug delivery and targeting

Rakshitha, D M and Ganesh, N S and Nesalin, J Adlin Jino and Chandy, Vineeth (2025) Transfersomes: A versatile tool for drug delivery and targeting. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 21 (2). pp. 358-371. ISSN 2582-5542

Transfersomes are an innovative system designed for targeted drug delivery through the skin. They are a type of liposome made from phosphatidylcholine combined with an edge activator. This unique design allows them to penetrate the skin’s outer layer (the stratum corneum) more effectively, either through the intracellular or transcellular pathways. Some of the key advantages of transfersomes include their ability to carry a wide range of drugs, better skin penetration, and their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Transfersomes are adaptable to ambient stress, hence, allowing the ultra-deformable transfersomes to change its membrane composition locally and reversibly, when it is pressed against or attracted into narrow pores. Transfersomes exhibit a flexible structure and higher surface hydrophilicity which play a critical role in the transport of drugs and other solutes using hydration gradients as a driving force to deliver the molecules into and across the skin. Evaluation parameters of transfersomes includes Vesicle size distribution, Zeta potential, Vesicle morphology, Number of vesicles per cubic mm, Entrapment efficiency, Drug content, Turbidity measurement, Degree of deformability, Surface charge, In-vitro drug release, In-vitro skin permeation studies. Transfersomes are incredibly versatile and can be used for controlled drug release, making them ideal for delivering both small and large molecules. They can carry a wide range of drugs, including pain relievers, anesthetics, corticosteroids, sex hormones, anticancer drugs, insulin, gap junction proteins, and albumin. Their ability to transport such diverse compounds makes them a powerful tool in modern medicine for improving drug delivery and effectiveness.