https://www.selleckchem.com/products/jnj-64619178.html Aim Our study investigated the feasibility of transdermal delivery of heparin, an anticoagulant used against venous thromboembolism, as an alternative to intravenous administration. Materials & methods Skin was pretreated using ablative laser (Precise Laser Epidermal System [P.L.E.A.S.E.®] technology) for enhanced delivery of heparin. In vitro permeation studies using static Franz diffusion cells provided a comparison between delivery from 0.3% w/v heparin-loaded poloxamer gel and solution across untreated and laser-treated dermatomed porcine ear skin. Results No passive delivery of heparin was observed. Laser-assisted delivery from solution (26.07 ± 1.82 μg/cm2) was higher (p less then 0.05) than delivery from heparin gel (11.28 ± 5.32 μg/cm2). However, gel is likely to sustain the delivery over prolonged periods like a maintenance dose via continuous intravenous infusion. Conclusion Thus, ablative laser pretreatment successfully delivered heparin, establishing the feasibility of delivering hydrophilic macromolecules using the transdermal route.Introduction Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a frequent disorder in which activation of effector cells and histamine release can be induced via several distinct pathogenetic mechanisms. Much work has been carried out to identify biomarkers useful for classifying CSU patients, and to predict their response to currently available treatments.Areas covered The recent literature dealing with CSU biomarkers was screened in PubMed and Google Scholar using 'chronic spontaneous urticaria', 'biomarker', 'diagnosis', 'therapy' and 'treatment response' as key words. The characteristics found in relevant papers were divided into clinical and serological biomarkers of (a) clinical severity/disease activity, and (b) response to treatments.Expert opinion A diagnostic biomarker for CSU is still missing. Most biomarkers described so far do not seem to possess sufficient specificity