Cubosomes: The Next Frontier In Topical Drug Delivery Systems – A Review

Abstract

Topical drug delivery has received exceptional attention due to the rising skin-related diseases, for an effective patient compliant and targeted delivery system. Generally, a Topical drug delivery system is a transport carrier or a chemical formulation that safely transports therapeutic agents at a controlled rate to achieve effective concentration to the specific body site. In addition, the limited solubility and low permeability of convectional topical formulations make them unstable and reduce the drugs' bioavailability. Recently, various nanotechnology-driven approaches have been introduced to mitigate the issues associated with convectional topical formulations. However, Cubosomes have been introduced and are thought to be a viable lipid-based Nanosystem for the treatment of skin conditions. Cubosomes are a kind of liquid crystalline nanoparticles that are mostly made of phytantriol or glyceryl monooleate (GMO) in the presence of an appropriate stabilizer. Their distinct qualities and excellent compatibility with a wide range of active ingredients enable their extensive uses, including as drug delivery for chemotherapy and for topical, oral, ophthalmic, and transdermal applications. In comparison to other nanoformulations cubosomes have high drug loading efficiency due to larger surface area and cubic crystallize structures, remain stable at any dilution level, relatively simple preparation method,  the ability of encapsulating hydrophobic, hydrophilic and amphiphilic drugs, targeting and controlled release of drugs and are thermodynamically stable for longer time. Cubosomes are having wide range applications in various fields and they can be characterized by various evaluation parameters. The topical formulation of cubosomal drugs exhibits exceptional potential benefits in terms of controlled and prolonged drug administration. This review primarily concentrates on the most recent advancements in cubosomes technology as a viable drug transport carrier for topical delivery, highlights the challenges associated with conventional drug carriers in topical applications as well as cubosomes composition, preparation techniques, characterizations, and topical applications.