Novel topical drug delivery systems in acne management: Molecular mechanisms and role of targeted delivery systems for better therapeutic outcomes

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that involves pilosebaceous units. Due to the various harmful psychophysical consequences especially in teenagers and younger adults, early management of acne vulgaris would be crucial. The selection of suitable pharmacotherapy regimens for acne treatment is significantly affected by the acne severity based on acne grading scales. Among various considered topical and systemic treatment options, antimicrobial agents, hormonal therapy, and retinoids are the most popular therapeutic regimens. Although systemic therapy of acne has better clinical outcomes, but due to the extensive systemic adverse reactions, topical treatment options would be preferred especially in patients with mild to moderate acne lesions. Numerous conventional topical formulations have been considered in acne management, however, their main drawback is limited skin penetration through the stratum corneum layer. In this regard, nanotechnology and novel topical drug delivery systems are recruited to enhance skin penetration and provide specific targeted delivery to skin organelles including hair follicles. In this focused review, the pathophysiology of acne vulgaris, acne severity staging, the role of nanotechnology and various novel topical drug delivery systems including lipid nanoparticles, vesicular nanocarriers, nanofibers, nanocrystals, and polymeric nanoparticles in acne management have been discussed in detail. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.