title: Endothelial cells at inflammatory sites as target for therapeutic intervention.
abstract: In the course of an inflammation, vascular endothelial cells (VECs) are strongly involved in processes like leukocyte recruitment, cytokine production, and angiogenesis. Specific interference in these processes may yield great therapeutic benefit in the treatment of (chronic) inflammatory disorders. Drug targeting to VECs at inflamed sites may allow such intervention. VECs at inflamed sites represent a very well-accessible target cell population for circulating drug-targeting systems, which may also be selectively distinguished from normal VECs by the expression of several cell surface receptors involved in the inflammation. One group of specifically expressed molecules are the adhesion molecules (AMs), which have a major function in adhesion of cells to each other, to the extracellular matrix, or in the adhesion and subsequent recruitment of circulating immune cells. This review describes AMs with regard to their function in the inflammatory disease and their usefulness in functioning as a specific target receptor for drug-targeting approaches in general and with an emphasis on liposome-based drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. G.A.Koning@pharm.uu.nl
authors.forename: Gerben A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Koning
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schiffelers
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Storm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D016023:Integrins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008954:Models, Biological; D019087:Selectins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D016023:Integrins; D019087:Selectins