Pharmacy Tuesdays" conference - June 06

Lipid formulations for topical use: the advantages of polyoxazolines for targeted delivery – Laurianne SIMON

The skin, the main protective barrier against external aggression, is increasingly under attack from environmental sources. Daily aggressions (pollution, tobacco, UV rays...) generate an overproduction of free radicals, leading to premature aging of the skin and promoting the development of skin pathologies and cancers. To effectively neutralize excess radicals, we need to deliver active ingredients (antioxidants) in situ, deep into the epidermis. But how can we effectively penetrate the skin without damaging it?

To achieve this goal, we developed customized lipid nanoformulations at ICGM, in Prof. Sylvie Begu's team, to deliver antioxidants to the epidermis. These nanoformulations were developed using bio-inspired polymers that partially mimic the structure of our skin: polyoxazolines. This enabled us to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the polymer formulations and validate their efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The formulations were able to penetrate the skin without damaging cells to deliver the encapsulated antioxidants to the epidermis. This work therefore paves the way for new skin therapies to treat conditions such as psoriasis and melanoma, which are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide.