Valentín-Valentín, Celymar: Liposomal Hydrogel Formulations for the Transdermal Drug Delivery of NSAIDs: Developments and Current Status
Title: Liposomal Hydrogel Formulations for the Transdermal Drug Delivery of NSAIDs: Developments and Current Status
Name: Celymar Valentín-Valentín
Home Institute: University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez
Programs: RISE program
Other contributors: Julia Zhang, Bozena Michniak-Kohn
Abstract: Transdermal Drug Delivery (TDD) offers an alternative delivery route to oral medications for drugs that can cause gastrointestinal adverse effects such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A widely studied approach for TDD drug carriers are elastic liposomes. They are flexible phospholipid vesicles that can open extracellular pathways between the skin cells and deliver hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs to the bloodstream. Despite all the benefits they provide for TDD, they lack chemical and physical stability, resulting in a short life. On the other hand, hydrogels, polymeric networks dispersed in water, are also suitable for TDD, but their initial drug release upon contact can sometimes result in an overdose. The combination of these two approaches has been studied with the intention of optimizing both formulations properties. Some of the benefits that have been observed are vesicle stability, prolonged drug release, and enhanced transdermal permeability. We proposed a literature review on the development and status of this synergistic combination for the transdermal delivery of NSAIDs to summarize the most recent advances. Publications reporting liposomal hydrogel formulations tested with NSAIDs were retrieved from PubMed and Google Scholar. Relevant articles are being examined and analyzed to extract the necessary information. The most studied NSAID with liposomal hydrogel formulations was found to be diclofenac. This review serves as an essential introduction to the topic to guide future studies on TDDs of NSAIDs.
Biography: Celymar Valentín-Valentín is a rising senior majoring in chemical engineering at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus. She is also pursuing minors in pharmaceutical engineering and project management. While working on her degree, Celymar has participated in research concerning organic photovoltaics, laser-induced nucleation, and topical drug administration, and industrial internships with SUNNE Cleantech Labs and Johnson & Johnson Vision. She is an active member of the UPRM Chapter of the American Society for Engineering Education where she enjoys tutoring and helping fellow engineering students. Outside of academics, Celymar enjoys reading, learning new languages, and being outdoors. After graduation, she intends to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical engineering.