Gemini surfactant-stabilized cubosomes for enhanced topical delivery of 5-fluorouracil in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a prevalent non-melanoma skin cancer. Topical chemotherapy offers a non-invasive alternative to surgical treatments, yet the therapeutic efficacy of conventional agents like 5-fluorouracil is hindered by poor skin permeability and systemic side effects. In this study, we developed a gemini-surfactant-stabilized cubosomal gel (OF12-GEL) for enhanced topical delivery of 5-fluorouracil. The optimized cubosomes (OF12) exhibited a particle size of 134.4 nm, PDI 0.23, zeta potential +76.1 mV, and 51.3% entrapment efficiency. OF12-GEL achieved 41% release at 24 h and increased skin deposition to 323.7 μg/cm², nearly 3-fold higher than free 5-FU (114.1 μg/cm²). In A431 cells, OF12 showed a lower IC₅₀ (0.77 μg/mL) than free 5-FU (1.1

SUBMITTER: Raychaudhuri R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12908058 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature