Vesicular systems have gained immense importance in the last few years as a means for sustained and efficient drug delivery. This article was designed to review all aspects of a novel class of vesicles, transfersomes. Tranfersomes and the fundamental concept of transfersomes were launched by Gregor Cevc in the year 1991. It exists as an ultra-deformable complex having a hydrated core surrounded by a complex layer of lipid. The carrier aggregate is composed of at least one amphipathic molecule (like phospholipids) which when added to aqueous systems self-assemble into a bilayer of lipid which eventually closes into a lipid vesicle and one bilayer softening agent which is generally a surfactant which is responsible for the flexibility of the vesicle. Transfersomes provide the primary advantage of higher entrapment efficiency along with a depot formation which releases the contents slowly. The characterisation of transfersomes is similar to that of other vesicles like liposomes, niosomes and micelles. Transfersomes can be used for delivery of insulin, corticosteroids, proteins and peptides, interferons, anti-cancer drugs, anaesthetics, NSAIDs and herbal drugs. Certain disadvantages associated with transfersomes including deformation by a highly hydrophobic drug can be overcome by preparing transethosomes having characteristics of both transfersomes and ethosomes and has a mechanism of action that is a fusion of the mechanism of action of both. Deformability and penetration studies have proven that transethosomes provides a deeper penetration of the skin. There are several advantages of the transdermal route over the other traditional routes like preventing the metabolism in liver, alleviating the untoward side effects, predictability and extended duration of action, efficient delivery of drugs with a short half-life, improving the physiological as well as phamacological response, lesser fluctuation in blood levels of the drugs and last but the most important, improved patience compliance 1, 2.

Vesicular systems have gained immense importance in the last few years as a means for sustained and efficient drug delivery. Vesicular drug delivery is preferred over other formulations due their definite characteristics of a better capacity of encapsulating hydrophillic and hydrophobic drugs, no toxicity, biodegradability, increased time of drug presence in the circulation due to encapsulation in the vesicular structure, ability to target different organs and tissues and an increased bioavailability. Table 1 highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the vesicular systems. The transdermal route for drug delivery is of great importance today because it overcomes the main problems associated with the oral drug delivery systems. There are many techniques which have come into light for enhancing the transdermal delivery including electrophoresis, iontophoresis, microneedles, nanoneedles, sonophoresis and vesicles like liposome, ethosome, transfersome and cetosomes. Transfersomes provide a great scope for the delivery of active constituents. This carrier system is composed of phospholipids, surfactants and water 3, 4, 5. Tranfersomes and the fundamental concept of transfersomes was launched by Gregor Cevc in the year 1991. In a broad sense, transferosome is a stress responsive, elastic and an extremely adaptable aggregate.  It exists as an ultra-deformable complex having a hydrated core surrounded by a complex layer of lipid. A self-optimizing and a self-regulatory property is incorporated in the vesicle due to the composition of the bilayer and the Interdependency of the local composition. This property helps the vesicle is traversing the different transport barriers effectively and helps the carrier in targeted and sustained delivery of active constituents in a non-invasive manner.