Novel topical drug carriers as a tool for treatment of psoriasis: Progress and advances

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease portrayed by erythematous, papulosquamous lesions. It is characterized by excessive growth and aberrant differentiation of keratatinocytes. The conventional topical treatments that have been used in the past, such as coal tar and dithranol, have low efficacy, poor aesthetic and cosmetic appeal, leading to poor patient compliance while systemic therapies such as methotrexate, cyclosporine and acitretin  produce significant side effects. In recent years, several novel carriers like liposomes, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), etc. have been used in psoriasis, with promising results. Small and relatively narrow size distribution with novel carriers permits site specific delivery to the skin, with improved drug solubilization of hydrophobic drugs and bioavailability. This review highlights the recent advancements in the field of novel carriers for topical applications of antipsoriatic active moieties and bioactives.   Key words: Novel carriers, topical, antipsoriatic drugs, psoriasis, skin.