NAIL AS A PROMISING DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLED RELEASE

The effectiveness of topical therapies is limited by minimal drug permeability through the nail plate. Nail permeability is however quite low and limits topical therapy to early/mild disease states such as onychomycosis (fungal infections of the nail). Current research on nail permeation that focuses on altering the nail plate barrier by means of chemical treatments, penetration enhancers as well as physical and mechanical methods is reviewed also the recent research into ungual drug delivery is reviewed, a new method of nail sampling is examined.  Topical therapy is worth pursuing however, as local action is required in many nail disorders. Drug transport into the nail plate can be assisted by filing the nail plate before topical application of drug formulations as well as by the use of chemical enhancers. Finally limitations of current ungual drug permeability studies are briefly discussed and the factors, which affect drug uptake and permeation through the nail plate such as solute molecular size, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, charge, and the nature of the vehicle, are then discussed, and drug-containing nail lacquers which, like cosmetic varnish, are brushed onto the nail plates to form a film, and from which drug is released and penetrates into the nail are reviewed. The nail plate behaves like a concentrated hydrogel to permeating molecules and diffusion of molecules through the nail plate has been compared to the diffusion of non-electrolytes through polymer gels. Thus, for optimal ungual permeation and uptake, drug molecules must be of small size and be uncharged.