Affiliation:
1. Exogenix Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom
Abstract
Introduction:
The design of advanced drug delivery systems based on synthetic and supramolecular
chemistry has been very successful. Liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx®), and liposomal
daunorubicin (DaunoXome®), estradiol topical emulsion (EstrasorbTM) as well as soluble or erodible
polymer systems such as pegaspargase (Oncaspar®) or goserelin acetate (Zoladex®) represent considerable
achievements.
Discussion:
As deliverables have evolved from low molecular weight drugs to biologics (currently representing
approximately 30% of the market), so too have the demands made of advanced drug delivery
technology. In parallel, the field of membrane trafficking (and endocytosis) has also matured. The trafficking
of specific receptors i.e. material to be recycled or destroyed, as well as the trafficking of protein
toxins has been well characterized. This, in conjunction with an ability to engineer synthetic, recombinant
proteins provides several possibilities.
Conclusion:
The first is using recombinant proteins as drugs i.e. denileukin diftitox (Ontak®) or
agalsidase beta (Fabrazyme®). The second is the opportunity to use protein toxin architecture to reach
targets that are not normally accessible. This may be achieved by grafting regulatory domains from
multiple species to form synthetic proteins, engineered to do multiple jobs. Examples include access to
the nucleocytosolic compartment. Herein, the use of synthetic proteins for drug delivery has been
reviewed.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (miscellaneous),Pharmaceutical Science,Biomedical Engineering