BACKGROUND Nanotechnology has provided substantial benefits in drug delivery, especially in the treatment of dermatological diseases. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease in which topical delivery of antipsoriatic agents… Click to show full abstract
BACKGROUND Nanotechnology has provided substantial benefits in drug delivery, especially in the treatment of dermatological diseases. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease in which topical delivery of antipsoriatic agents is considered the first line treatment. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the encapsulation of the synthetic retinoid tazarotene in a nanocarrier based on jojoba oil would decrease its irritation potential and clinically improve its therapeutic outcome in psoriatic patients. METHOD A microemulsion system based on jojoba wax and labrasol/plurol isostearique was prepared and characterized. RESULTS The selected formula displayed spherical morphology, particle size of 15.49±2.41 nm, polydispersity index of 0.20 ±0.08, negative charge and low viscosity. The microemulsion provided two folds increase in skin deposition of tazarotene, correlating with higher reduction in psoriatic patients PASI scores after treatment (68% reduction in PASI scores versus 8.96% reduction with the marketed gel). No irritation was encountered in patients using microemulsion, with redness and inflammation reported with the marketed gel-treated patients. CONCLUSION Jojoba oil microemulsion proved to be advantageous in reducing the irritancy of tazarotene, enhancing its skin deposition and achieving better therapeutic outcome in psoriatic patients.
               
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