Fractional CO2 laser-assisted drug delivery

• Published in: Lasers in surgery and medicine 2010-02, Vol.42 (2), p.113-122
• Main Authors: Hædersdal, Merete, Sakamoto, Fernanda H., Farinelli, William A., Doukas, Apostolos G., Tam, Josh, Anderson, R. Rox
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Cream; Dermis; Diffusion; Drug delivery; Follicles; fractional ablative resurfacing; Hair; Lasers; photodynamic therapy; photosensitizer; Porphyrins; Skin; Topical application; topical drugs; Wavelength
• ISSN: 0196-8092; 1096-9101; 1096-9101
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.20860

Background and Objectives Ablative fractional resurfacing (AFR) creates vertical channels that might assist the delivery of topically applied drugs into skin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate drug delivery by CO2 laser AFR using methyl 5‐aminolevulinate (MAL), a porphyrin precursor, as a test drug. Materials and Methods Two Yorkshire swine were treated with single‐hole CO2 laser AFR and subsequent topical application of MAL (Metvix®, Photocure ASA, Oslo, Norway), placebo cream and no drug. MAL‐induced porphyrin fluorescence was measured by fluorescence microscopy at skin depths down to 1,800 µm. AFR was performed with a 10.6 µm wavelength prototype CO2 laser, using stacked single pulses of 3 millisecond and 91.6 mJ per pulse. Results AFR created cone‐shaped channels of approximately 300 µm diameter and 1,850 µm depth that were surrounded by a 70 µm thin layer of thermally coagulated dermis. There was no porphyrin fluorescence in placebo cream or untreated skin sites. AFR followed by MAL application enhanced drug delivery with significantly higher porphyrin fluorescence of hair follicles (P