ABSTRACT
One of the largest advantages of nanoparticles, particularly for topical administration, is the ability to allow hydrophobic or water-insoluble therapeutics to treat areas where they otherwise could not. Many of the commercially available topical creams and ointments use lyposomal, micelle, or colloidal drug conjugates to deliver treatments to skin and soft tissues. All three of these carriers are within the micrometer size range and have proven effective at providing a bulky hydrophobic drug carrier to the otherwise hydrophilic antibiotics, allowing them some degree of permeation (Lamb et al. 1991; Lance et al. 1995; Sorkine et al. 1996; Souza et al. 1993; Washington et al. 1993; Yarkoni and Rapp 1978; Turner and
Wooley 2004). However, these products have many limitations, including a shallow depth of treatment and limited bioavailability of the drug in the tissue. This is especially true when there is a large degree of damage to the skin, as is the case with third degree burns, which penetrate down to the subcutaneous or fatty tissue below the skin. Most topical treatments are not effective here and must be combined with systemic administration of a like drug as a preventive measure. In terms of infection control, this method of treatment can lead to the development of bacterial resistance and is often ineffective at treating the infection.
