title: Liposomes for targeted delivery of antithrombotic drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Targeted delivery of antithrombotic (thrombolytic) drugs is expected to increase their efficacy and decrease side effects, especially in the case of thrombolytic enzymes. Liposomes, phospholipid nanosized bubbles with a bilayered membrane structure, have drawn a lot of interest as pharmaceutical carriers for drugs and genes. In particular, several attempts have been made to use liposomes as vehicles for antithrombotic agents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review analyzes the available data on the application of liposomes, including liposomes targeted by specific ligands, for the delivery of antithrombotic/thrombolytic agents in order to increase their efficacy and decrease side effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The papers published on the subject of liposomes loaded with antithrombotic agents, mainly over the last 10 - 15 years, will be discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liposomes loaded with various antithrombotic drugs, though they have been the subject of a significant number of experimental papers, can hardly be considered as real candidates for clinical application in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Northeastern University, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Tamer A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Elbayoumi
authors.forename: Vladimir P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Torchilin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D008081:Liposomes; D011506:Proteins