Native albumin for targeted drug delivery.
IMPORTANCE IN THE FIELD: Activated cells metabolize albumin to cover their increased need for amino acids and energy. In inflamed, diseased and malignant tissue, extravasation of macromolecules into the tissue is upregulated. Drug carriers such as albumin have been used to target specifically diseased and malignant cells, resulting in higher efficacy of treatment and reduced side effects.


METHODS
Owing to its advantageous biochemical and pharmacological properties, albumin has been regarded as an interesting candidate as a drug carrier. Covalent coupling to albumin carries drugs specifically to tumors and sites of inflammation, leading to reduced side effects as long as the native structure of albumin is unchanged. In this review, the means of coupling drugs to native albumin as well as exemplary studies for the use of albumin as drug carrier are summarized and discussed.


RESULTS
An overview of the state-of-the-art using albumin as drug carrier for specific accumulation in tumors and inflammatory cells using the advantageous properties of native albumin is given in this review.


CONCLUSIONS
Native albumin is an effective drug carrier to sites of inflammation or malignancy.
Neumann
Elena
E
Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Kerckhoff-Klinik Bad Nauheim, Benekestr. 2-8, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany. e.neumann@kerckhoff-klinik.de
Frei
Eva
E
Funk
Dorothee
D
Becker
Matthias D
MD
Schrenk
Hans-Hermann
HH
Müller-Ladner
Ulf
U
Fiehn
Christoph
C
D000818:Animals; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004339:Drug Compounding; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012709:Serum Albumin; C040811:methotrexate-serum albumin; D008727:Methotrexate