The state-of-the-art of atmospheric pressure plasma for transdermal drug delivery

Plasma-enhanced transdermal drug delivery (TDD) presents advantages over traditional methods, including painless application, minimal skin damage, and rapid recovery of permeability. To harness its clinical potential, factors related to plasma’s unique properties, such as reactive species and electric fields, must be carefully considered.This review provides a concise summary of conventional TDD methods and subsequently offers a comprehensive examination of the current state-of-the-art in plasma-enhanced TDD. This includes an analysis of the impact of plasma on HaCaT human keratinocyte cells, ex vivo/in vivo studies, and clinical research on plasma-assisted TDD. Moreover, the review explores the effects of plasma on skin physical characteristics such as microhole formation, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), molecular structure of the stratum corneum (SC), and skin resistance. Additionally, it discusses the involvement of various reactive agents in plasma-enhanced TDD, encompassing electric fields, charged particles, UV/VUV radiation, heat, and reactive species. Lastly, the review briefly addresses the temporal behavior of the skin after plasma treatment, safety considerations, and potential risks associated with plasma-enhanced TDD.