Keratin film made of human hair as a nail plate model for studying drug permeation

The limited source of human nail plate for studying drug permeation inspired us to develop a nail plate model made of human hair keratin. The manufacturing process consisted of keratin extraction, dialysis, molding, solvent evaporation, and curing, producing a water-resistant film. The permeability of the film was examined using three markers: sodium fluorescein, rhodamine B, and fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran as water-soluble, lipid-soluble, and large molecule models, respectively. Bovine hoof was used for comparison. First investigation showed that keratin films (thickness 120 μm) resembled hooves (thickness 100 μm) except that these films were more permeable to rhodamine B compared with hooves (1.8-fold, p < 0.01). Subsequent investigations using ungual penetration enhancers (urea, thioglycolic acid, and papain) showed that keratin films were generally more susceptible than hooves. This study revealed that the produced keratin film offers a possibility as a human nail plate substitute. However, inclusion of the penetration enhancer must be carefully interpreted.