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Peptides as Skin Penetration Enhancers for Low Molecular Weight Drugs and Macromolecules

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Percutaneous Penetration Enhancers Chemical Methods in Penetration Enhancement

Abstract

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and constitutes a potential site for local and systemic drug delivery. However, the impermeable nature of the outermost layer of the skin called stratum corneum (SC) ensures a stringent barrier for transport of hydrophilic molecules and macromolecules into and across the skin. Hence, only small (<500 Da) and lipophilic (Log P = 1–3) molecules can be passively delivered through the skin. In particular, it is challenging to deliver hydrophilic drugs and macromolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids, into and across the skin. To address these limitations, several physical and chemical skin penetration enhancement techniques have been proposed. Recently, peptides have emerged as successful skin penetration enhancers for both small molecular weight drugs and macromolecules. These peptides are called skin penetration enhancement peptides (SPEPs). Currently, majority of the SPEPs have been discovered from already-established cell-penetrating peptides, pore-forming antimicrobial peptides, or by screening random peptide displayed phage libraries. In this chapter, we have discussed the discovery of various classes of SPEPs and their mechanism of skin permeation enhancement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA

    Sunny Kumar

  2. Biotherapeutic Formulations, Veterinary Medicine R&D, Zoetis, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, USA

    Sunil T. Narishetty PhD

  3. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, # 2202C, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA

    Hemachand Tummala

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  1. Sunny Kumar
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  2. Sunil T. Narishetty PhD
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  3. Hemachand Tummala
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Correspondence to Hemachand Tummala .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Manufacturing, Apoteka "Beograd", Belgrade, Serbia

    Nina Dragicevic

  2. Dermatology Clinic, University of California San Francisco Dermatology Clinic, San Francisco, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

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Kumar, S., Narishetty, S.T., Tummala, H. (2015). Peptides as Skin Penetration Enhancers for Low Molecular Weight Drugs and Macromolecules. In: Dragicevic, N., Maibach, H. (eds) Percutaneous Penetration Enhancers Chemical Methods in Penetration Enhancement. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47039-8_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47039-8_21

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