Abstract

In this review, the concepts of chronobiology, circadian rhythm, chronopharmacology, homeostasis and chronotherapy are taken into account to approach the optimal drug therapy, in which the timing of drug administration plays an important role. Based on these considerations, our laboratory has developed a thermo-responsive membrane by entrapping a single or binary liquid crystal to achieve an on-off switching drug delivery for transdermal application via the externally repeated cycle of temperature change, which may simulate the dosing time of therapeutic needs for human body.

Keywords: on-off thermo-responsive, cellulose membrane, coc, cn, liquid crystal, circadian rhythm, chronotherapy, transdermal