Albumin-drug conjugates in the treatment of hepatic disorders.
BACKGROUND
This review deals with the use of serum albumin (SA) as a carrier for the selective delivery of drugs to liver cells.


METHODS
The synthesis and properties of the SA conjugates prepared to enhance the performance of the drugs used in the treatment of viral hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver micrometastases and hepatic fibrosis are reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Studies in humans and laboratory animals demonstrated the capacity of SA conjugates to accomplish a liver targeting of the drugs, but at the same time underscored their limits and drawbacks, which can explain why to date these complexes did not reach a practical application. The major drawback is the need of administration by intravenous route, which prevents long-term daily treatments as required by some liver pathologies, such as chronic virus hepatitis and fibrosis. At present, only a conjugate carrying doxorubicin and addressed to the treatment of HCC showed in laboratory animals a solid potentiality to improve the value of the coupled drug. In the future, conjugation to SA could remain a successful strategy to permit the administration of drugs with rapid resolutive effects inside liver cells without causing severe extrahepatic adverse reactions.
University of Bologna, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine , via San Giacomo 14 - 20126 Bologna , Italy +39 0512094700 ; +39 0512094746 ; luigi.fiume@unibo.it.
Luigi
L
Fiume
Marcella
M
Manerba
Giuseppina
G
Di Stefano
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D004339:Drug Compounding; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012709:Serum Albumin; D004317:Doxorubicin
asialoglycoprotein receptor; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver fibrosis; liver micrometastases; liver targeting of drugs; mannose-6-phosphate receptor; virus hepatitis