Polish researchers are working on therapeutic nail polishes.

Biotechnologists at the Krakow University of Technology are working on nail polishes that will deliver drugs not only locally but also intra-intestinally. In the future, such polishes could be used to treat fungal infections, pain, and inflammation.

Nail styling products have long been more than just cosmetics, scientists remind us in a press release sent to PAP. Although standard colored nail polishes typically don't have medicinal properties, some nail polish bases do, containing nourishing ingredients like keratin, calcium, silicon, and proteins that are intended to combat brittleness and discoloration. Nail polishes containing ciclopirox, in turn, have antifungal properties. Nail products containing urea or panthenol are also effective against nail inflammation and psoriasis.

Second-year biotechnology students at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology at the Krakow University of Technology, Iga Chodak and Kamil Jurek, under the supervision of university specialists in organic chemistry and drug technology, are currently working on adding new therapeutic functions to varnishes. They believe drug-delivering varnishes could be a very interesting alternative to currently used drug delivery methods.

"The nail plate, unlike the skin, is a hydrophilic barrier. This property makes it an interesting route for administering medications with both local and systemic effects. Literature suggests that active substances can penetrate the body through the nail plate for up to several days, which opens the possibility of developing nail polishes that enable the gradual and controlled release of systemic drugs, such as those affecting the central nervous system," commented Jolanta Jaśkowska, Ph.D., Ph.D., Eng., from the Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, quoted in the press release.

Dr. Jaśkowska, along with engineer Anna Drabczyk from the same department, are the project's subject matter experts. She is also supported by mentors from companies specializing in implementing this type of solutions in industrial production – Dr. Edyta Pindelska (Advanced Pharma Solutions Sp. z o. o.) and Zbigniew Majka (Zbigniew Majka Consulting).

The young researchers and their supervisors focused on exploring the use of varnishes as drug delivery systems for antifungal, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory drugs. "We have developed several prototype varnish formulations, which we are testing using locally active substances, such as ciclopirox, and substances with potential systemic effects, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and nimesulide," explained Chodak.

In the future, the team plans to expand the research to include other groups of active substances, which would allow the use of therapeutic varnishes in the treatment of a wider range of diseases.

"We're already observing that some active ingredients are released immediately, while others are released gradually, which will impact the final formulation. We're analyzing the technological and physicochemical limitations," Jurek explained.

According to Krakow researchers, seemingly simple pharmaceutical solutions hold enormous potential. Ideas such as developing a varnish that could become an innovative drug carrier open the door to new therapies, not only in dermatology but also in many other fields of medicine.

"In the case of systemic medications, the use of nail polish as a carrier may be particularly important for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs," emphasized Dr. Jaśkowska. She added that seeking alternative routes of administration for these medications is medically advisable, in part because of undesirable side effects in the gastrointestinal tract.

"Similar to transdermal therapeutic systems, varnishes could bypass the first-pass effect in the liver, potentially increasing bioavailability and allowing for the use of lower therapeutic doses of drugs. Our project could be an interesting alternative to currently used forms of drug administration," explained the specialist.

Currently, scientists at the Krakow University of Technology are focusing on basic research on the characteristics of active substance release and identifying potential limitations. "In the next stages, we plan to conduct research on the penetration of bioactive substances through the nail plate. Depending on the results, we do not rule out commercialization of the project in the future," announced Eng. Drabczyk.

The therapeutic varnish project is being implemented with funding from the Cracow University of Technology as part of the FutureLab PK student innovation laboratory. It is a continuation of research into innovative pharmacological treatment methods conducted by the "Drug Design" Scientific Club of Chemistry and Drug Technology. (PAP)

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