Erythrocyte engineering for drug delivery and targeting.
A new procedure for the encapsulation of non-diffusible drugs into human erythrocytes was developed. With as little as 50 ml of blood and by using a new apparatus, it was possible to encapsulate a variety of biologically active compounds into erythrocytes in 2 h at room temperature and under blood-banking conditions. The process, which is based on two sequential hypotonic dilutions of washed red cells followed by concentration with a haemofilter and resealing of red cells, allows a 35-50% cell recovery and approx. 30% encapsulation of added drugs. The resulting processed erythrocytes have a normal survival in vivo and can be modified further, with the same apparatus, to increase their recognition by tissue macrophages to perform as a drug-targeting system. The new equipment designed and built for this procedure was named 'Red Cell Loader'.
Magnani
M
M
Istituto di Chimica Biologica 'Giorgio Fornaini', Università degli Studi di Urbino, Via Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy.
Rossi
L
L
D'ascenzo
M
M
Panzani
I
I
Bigi
L
L
Zanella
A
A
D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005470:Fluorometry; D006801:Humans; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D013388:Succinimides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology
D002712:Chlorides; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D013388:Succinimides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C004180:dexamethasone 21-phosphate; C009022:prednisolone phosphate; D003907:Dexamethasone; C016837:zinc chloride; D011239:Prednisolone; C035760:bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate