Nano-based gene therapy for dermatologic diseases

Nanotechnology examines and utilizes unique properties that arise in common materials when they are shrunk to sub-100 nm dimensions [1, 2]. At the nanoscale, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials differ from the properties of individual molecules or bulk matter [2]. Mixing and matching different properties at the nanoscales can lead to the creation of novel and useful materials in a wide range of fields. In fact, nanotechnology has already been incorporated into our daily life from consumer product goods, to medical device, to industrial products, and to scientific research tools. Engineered nanomaterials hold particularly great promise for studying biological processes and creating diagnostics and therapeutics, as their sizes are perfectly matched to the biological machines that orchestrate life. In the field of dermatology, nanoparticles have already been incorporated into sunscreens and cosmeceuticals for many years, for instance to control drug release to skin and skin appendages, and for targeting hair follicle-specific cell populations [3].