title: Long-circulating sterically stabilized liposomes as carriers of agents for treatment of infection or for imaging infectious foci.
abstract: Liposomes are considered as potential carriers for biologically active compounds. One evident drawback of 'classical' liposomes is their fast elimination by cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), primarily by liver and spleen. An important breakthrough in this respect is the development of long-circulating liposomes among which liposomes coated with polyethyleneglycol (PEG), the so-called 'sterically stabilized' liposomes (SSL). An important characteristic of SSL is that their prolonged blood residence time and infectious target localization is relatively independent of the lipid dose, particle size or lipid composition of the bilayer. SSL are applied as carriers of antimicrobial agents to achieve infectious target localization, to reduce side effects, or to serve as a micro-reservoir in the circulation. In addition, radiolabelled SSL are used to image infectious and inflammatory foci.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, The Netherlands. bakker@kmic.fgg.eur.nl
authors.forename: Irma A J M
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Bakker-Woudenberg
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004355:Drug Stability; D007239:Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008081:Liposomes; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols