Authors: Yu, Wangyang; Zhang, Na; Li, Changjun

Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design, Volume 15, Number 32, November 2009 , pp. 3826-3836(11)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Nanocarriers are effective non-viral vectors for drug and gene delivery with low immunogenicity in comparison with viral vectors. However, the lack of organ or cell specificity sometimes hinders their application and brings about unexpected side effects. Active targeting is an outstanding strategy recently developed for drug delivery systems, for example, surface modification of nanocarriers with specific ligands could target the pathological area to provide the maximum therapeutic efficacy. In such cases, the characteristics of the ligands determine the active targeting abilities of the nanocarrier systems. Recently, more attentions have been paid to saccharides as ligands for saccharidemodified nanocarriers, possesing the receptor-mediated targeting properties and showing the potential for cell-specific delivery of drugs and genes. In this review, various kinds of glycosylated nanocarriers are discussed, including: varying ligands, targeting properties, therapeutic effects, and methods for administering the nanocarriers. The advantages as well as the probable associated drawbacks of these vectors are communicated.

Keywords: Nanocarriers; surface modification; saccharide ligands; active targeting; drug and gene delivery

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161209789649547

Affiliations: 1: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 Wen Hua Xi Road, Ji'nan, Shandong Province, China.

Publication date: 2009-11-01

More about this publication?

• Current Pharmaceutical Design publishes timely in-depth reviews covering all aspects of current research in rational drug design. Each issue is devoted to a single major therapeutic area. A Guest Editor who is an acknowledged authority in a therapeutic field has solicits for each issue comprehensive and timely reviews from leading researchers in the pharmaceutical industry and academia.
  
  Each thematic issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design covers all subject areas of major importance to modern drug design, including: medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, drug targets and disease mechanism.

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