Effect of Tape Stripping on Percutaneous Penetration and Topical Vaccination

The stratum corneum provides the first barrier to the percutaneous absorption of drugs as well as regulating water loss. This barrier limits the topical/transdermal delivery of drugs and biological macromolecules. Chemical and physical approaches have been examined to decrease these properties. Tape stripping is commonly used to disrupt the epidermal barrier, to enhance the delivery of drugs and to obtain information about stratum corneum function. Tape stripping results in the production and release of cytokines and co-stimulatory molecules and increases the humoral and cellular immune responses against peptide, protein and DNA antigens by a topical vaccination in vivo. This paper reviews the stripping method, experimental factors and its applications for penetration and topical vaccination.