title: PEGylated immunoliposomes directed against brain astrocytes.
abstract: Polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated (stealth) immunoliposomes directed against human gliofibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were prepared by coupling the thiolated monoclonal anti-GFAP antibodies with a maleimide derivative of phosphatidyl ethanolamine of the liposomal membrane. Experiments with cell cultures demonstrated specific and competitive binding of these immunoliposomes to embryonic rat brain astrocytes. Administered intravenously into rats, the immunoliposomes displayed typical kinetics with elimination half-lives of 8-15 hr. Being incapable of penetrating the unimpaired blood-brain barrier (BBB), these immunoliposomes, nevertheless, may be useful in delivering drugs to glial brain tumors (which continue to express GFAP) or to other pathological loci in the brain with a partially disintegrated BBB.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Serbsky National Research Centre for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, Moscow, Russia. chekhonin@aport.ru
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Chekhonin
authors.forename: Yu A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Zhirkov
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Gurina
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ryabukhin
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Lebedev
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Kashparov
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Dmitriyeva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D008081:Liposomes; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008081:Liposomes; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols