Core–Sheath Nanofibers From a Modified Coaxial Electrospinning for Transdermal Delivery of Finasteride

This study presents a modified coaxial electrospinning approach to create core-sheath nanofibers for enhanced transdermal delivery of finasteride (FIN). By using an electrospinnable ethylcellulose solution with FIN as the core and an unspinnable polyvinylpyrrolidone/sodium dodecyl sulfate solution as the sheath, the researchers fabricated robust medicated nanofibers (E3). Compared to traditional monolithic nanofibers (E2), the E3 nanofibers demonstrated improved FIN penetration rates, with significant differences observed from initial tests at 0.5 hours (10.32% for E2 and 12.85% for E3) to final tests at 4.0 hours (38.16% for E2 and 51.31% for E3). The study suggests that the unspinnable sheath fluid prevents abnormal phenomena in single-fluid processes, offering a strategy to enhance the performance of traditional electrospinning products.