Advanced Formulations for Overcoming Skin and Mucosal Barriers

Skin and mucosal delivery is a rapidly evolving field aiming to provide safer and patient-friendly alternatives to conventional treatment options, but also traditional injectable vaccines. In fact, skin and mucosae are natural entry points for pathogens and are equipped with specialized immune cells that can trigger a robust immune response, making them a valid target also for antigen delivery. Moreover, there is immense potential in the development of self-administered formulations, which not only are more convenient for patients but also reduce pressure on healthcare systems all over the world.

Although this is an exciting field, there are several challenges to address for the development of effective therapeutics for these routes. The nature of the stratum corneum and the characteristics of mucosal surfaces and mucus itself, which severely limit the permeation of small and large molecules across these barriers, require creative approaches to facilitate delivery through these routes. From nanotechnology to microneedles, advanced delivery systems are being developed to overcome these barriers, offering innovative solutions for more efficient, targeted, and controlled drug administration. However, there is still a need for novel delivery technologies and formulations, as well as to improve and optimize these systems in terms of efficacy, stability, and scalability.

This special issue aims to collect research work at the forefront of the design and development of advanced formulations for overcoming skin and mucosal barriers.

We welcome Original Research Articles, Reviews, and Mini-reviews that focus on the following topics of interest:
• Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for skin and mucus membranes penetration
• Innovative Formulation Techniques for Enhanced Transdermal and Transmucosal Drug Absorption
• Innovative Technologies enabling skin and mucosal vaccination
• Microneedle Applications for Efficient Therapeutic Delivery
• Bioadhesive Polymers for Improved Mucosal Drug Delivery

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: skin barriers, mucosal barriers, dermatological drug delivery, formulation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.