Polymer-based biomaterials for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications: A focus on topical drug administration

The increasing emergence of skin diseases and the difficulty in treating damaged skin using conventional therapies have been calling for the development of novel drug delivery systems towards an effective topical drug administration. Drug delivery systems are able to produce these results by means of improved drug delivery features, including controlled drug release, increased drug skin permeation and retention, and decreased systemic adverse effects. Natural polymers have proved to be good excipients for incorporation in hybrid systems (nanocarriers dispersed in a semisolid base) for the management of skin affections. In addition to being biocompatible, biodegradable, economic, easily available and based on…