Sonophoresis

Transdermal drug delivery offers an attractive alternative to conventional drug delivery methods, including oral administration and percutaneous injection. However, the stratum corneum serves as a barrier that limits the penetration of agents through the skin. Application of ultrasound to the skin increases its permeability (sonophoreisis), thereby enhancing the delivery of various substances into and through the skin. This chapter presents the main findings in the field of sonophoresis in transdermal drug delivery, as well as transdermal monitoring. Particular attention is paid to the proposed enhancement mechanisms and future trends in the fields of cutaneous vaccination and gene therapy.