Abstract:
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Understanding of skin absorption processes is needed not only for assessment of the
safety aspects of chemicals, other xenobiotics, or cosmetic formulations but also to
determine drug release of substances to the different skin strata and further to
systemic circulation.
In the field of pharmaceutical sciences, drug delivery to the skin is gaining more and
more interest, owing to the high acceptance by patients. In this regard, two different
cases have to be distinguished: local delivery to selected skin layers (e.g., antimycotics)
and systemic delivery (e.g., hormones). In the context of bioavailability assessment,
knowledge on the absorption behavior of the active compound is essential. For ethical
reasons, fundamental skin absorption data can normally not be obtained by
conducting in vivo studies. Therefore, other techniques must be used to obtain the
desired information. One option to obtain these data is the use of in vitro penetration
and permeation models. |