Erythrocytes as carriers for drug delivery in blood transfusion and beyond

Red blood cells (RBCs) are innate carriers that can also be engineered to improve the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of many drugs, particularly bio-therapeutics. Successful loading of drugs, both internally and on the external surface of RBCs, has been demonstrated for many drugs including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-thrombotic agents. Methods for internal loading of drugs within RBCs are now entering clinical use. While internal loading can result in membrane disruption that may compromise biocompatibility, surface loading using either affinity or chemical ligands offers a diverse set of approaches for the production of RBC drug carriers.
Source: Transfusion Medicine Reviews - Category: Hematology Authors: Source Type: research