Drug Diffusion Enhancer DMSO (IMAGE)
Caption
Label-free chemical imaging of drug delivery with SRS microscopy. The understanding of the diffusion process of topically applied drugs is critical for drug delivery. However, conventional Raman microscopy requires a long averaging time and high laser powers, where fluorescence microscopy often requires dye labels that are bigger than drug molecules and alter a drug's efficacy and diffusion characteristics. This figure shows SRS images of the penetration pathways for the drug diffusion enhancer DMSO. DMSO penetrates deep into the skin, even shortly after application. It is hydrophilic and hence avoids lipid structures such as the adipocytes. This is highlighted using two-color SRS imaging tuned into the characteristic vibration of DMSO at 670cm-1 (green) and the CH2-vibration of typical adipocytes at 2845cm-1 (red) at a depth of ~65µm into the skin. Three-dimensional sectioning capabilities, subcellular resolution and the high sensitivity of SRS are critical for this study.
Credit
Chris Freudiger, Wei Min, and Brian Saar, Harvard University
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