Current progress and future prospects of liposomes in dermal drug delivery

Liposomes were introduced first in 1980 for topical drug delivery and since then have attracted considerable interest and generated many speculative claims concerning their potential utility both as a drug carrier and reservoir for controlled release of drugs within various layers of the skin. A number of clinical studies have now demonstrated the superiority of liposomal drug formulations over conventional delivery systems. In this respect, liposomal formulations have been successful in treatment of a number of dermatological diseases and disorders such as psoriasis, mycoses, idiopathic hirsutism and cutaneous infections. This review emphasizes the evaluation of topically applied liposomal formulation both at experimental and clinical levels. Mechanism(s) by which liposomes facilitate deposition of drugs in various layers of the skin is also discussed.