During the last three decades, the value of
liposomes as a drug delivery system has been examined. The interest in
liposomes as carriers of active substances is based on their potential to enclose various types of
biological materials and to deliver them to diverse cell types. Whereas experiments with systemically applied
liposome-entrapped drugs often proved disappointing, recent work suggests that
liposomes as vehicles for topical
drug delivery may be superior to conventional preparations. The use of
liposomes in ophthalmology for the diagnosis and treatment of different ocular diseases has been postulated recently. Dermatics based on
liposomes as
drug carrier systems have been tested for different types of ingredients, e.g.,
corticosteroids and
local anesthetics. To understand more about the pharmacological potential of
liposomes, it is important to investigate the interaction between
liposomes and the epidermis. Analysis in this field suggests that only a compromised epidermal barrier enables intact
liposomes to penetrate the skin. This is in accordance with clinical findings. A liposomal preparation of
betamethasone dipropionate seems superior to a conventional commercial preparation in
eczema but not in
psoriasis vulgaris. However, one cannot rule out the follicular pathway as an alternate route. Many questions must be resolved before a complete understanding of
liposomes as a
drug carrier system in dermatology can be reached. However, examinations performed so far indicate that
liposomes might be useful as vehicles for topical
drug delivery in various diseases of the skin.