Erythrocyte-based drug delivery.
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.
Rossi
Luiga
L
Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Istituto di Chimica Biologica G Fornaini, Italy.
Serafini
Sonja
S
Pierigé
Francesca
F
Antonelli
Antonella
A
Cerasi
Aurora
A
Fraternale
Alessandra
A
Chiarantini
Laura
L
Magnani
Mauro
M
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
D004337:Drug Carriers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D009711:Nucleotides; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011506:Proteins