Fractional Laser Systems. . . The Future of Drug Delivery?
Medical lasers have become increasingly common over the last two decades, mostly for cosmetic and dermatologic indications. As their use becomes more widespread, it is natural for scientists to develop novel ways to harness the technology. One of the most interesting uses is the possibility of laser technology to facilitate the delivery of medications through the skin.
Lasers are an ideal choice for drug delivery because the wavelength of the laser can be varied to target specific structures while preventing damage to the surrounding skin. In a process called laser microporation, mid-infrared fractional lasers are being used to target and superheat water in the skin, creating hundreds of tiny “pores” through which a drug could be delivered via an overlying patch. Drug dose is controlled by varying the total number of pores and pore properties such as size or depth. Medications ultimately make their way to the systemic blood stream by entry into the skin’s capillary network. The first such device called the Painless Laser Epidermal System (P.L.E.A.S.E.) by Pantec Biosolutions was recently approved for use in Europe.
Delivery of medications through the skin could be extremely useful because it would avoid problems of oral medications such as gastrointestinal upset and the first-pass effect of the liver, a phenomenon of drug metabolism where the concentration of a drug is reduced before it reaches the systemic circulation. Laser drug delivery would also reduce or eliminate the need for painful injectable medications, such as in hormone treatments for in-vitro fertilization. While it remains to be seen whether we will all have hand-held fractional lasers at home to take our medications at some point in the future, the idea is certainly intriguing.