title: Erythrocyte-based drug delivery.
abstract: The use of a physiological carrier to deliver therapeutics throughout the body to both improve their efficacy while minimising inevitable adverse side effects, is an extremely fascinating perspective. The behaviour of erythrocytes as a delivery system for several classes of molecules (i.e., proteins, including enzymes and peptides, therapeutic agents in the form of nucleotide analogues, glucocorticoid analogues) has been studied extensively as they possess several properties, which make them unique and useful carriers. Furthermore, the possibility of using carrier erythrocytes for selective drug targeting to differentiated macrophages increases the opportunities to treat intracellular pathogens and to develop new drugs. Finally, the availability of an apparatus that permits the encapsulation of drugs into autologous erythrocytes has made this technology available in many clinical settings and competitive with other drug delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Istituto di Chimica Biologica G Fornaini, Italy.
authors.forename: Luiga
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serafini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pierigé
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerasi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fraternale
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiarantini
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magnani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003956:Dialysis; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004339:Drug Compounding; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D012157:Mononuclear Phagocyte System / Q000502:physiology; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D009711:Nucleotides; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011506:Proteins