Lessons Learned from the First Decade of Laser-Assisted Drug Delivery

Laser-assisted drug delivery augments the distribution and penetration of topically applied treatments, leading to enhanced delivery and bioavailability. We discuss the therapeutic application of laser-assisted drug delivery in clinical practice in cases of non-melanoma skin cancer, vitiligo, melasma, scarring, and alopecia (female pattern hair loss, male pattern hair loss, alopecia areata) as well as for vaccination, local anaesthesia, analgesia, viral warts, infantile haemangiomas and cosmetic uses, and we review clinical studies that have used this technique over the last decade. Our review shows that the application of laser-assisted drug delivery enhances topical agent efficacy, potentially reducing the agent concentration and duration of topical treatment required. Future research into the use of laser-assisted drug delivery before topical therapies is needed to establish the optimal techniques to enhance drug delivery and thus improve patient outcomes.