drug delivery plant lectins as bioadhesive drug delivery systems药植物凝集素是一类药物输送系统.pdfVIP

Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology, 2011, 2, 614-621 doi:10.4236/jbnb.2011.225073 Published Online December 2011 (/journal/jbnb) Drug Delivery: Plant Lectins as Bioadhesive Drug Delivery Systems Marija Gavrovic-Jankulovic, Radivoje Prodanovic Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgarde, Serbia. E-mail: mgavrov@chem.bg.ac.rs Received September 17th, 2011; revised October 9th, 2011; accepted November 11th, 2011. ABSTRACT Selective targeting of drugs to the proposed site of action provides therapeutic advantages such as reduced toxicity and smaller dose levels. Despite a huge progress made in drug design and delivery systems, many challenges still have to be solved. Small therapeutic drugs always have the potential to pass into the kidneys and be excreted from the body. The use of macromolecular constructs (carriers) that allow longer circulation times, contribute to improved chemical func- tionality and more precise drug delivery is an attractive alternative option. Bioadhesive systems which will utilize in- tense contact to increase the drug concentration gradient could be an attractive approach. Because of their specific carbohydrate-binding, lectins can interact with glycoconjugates present on the epithelial cells that line all of the organs exposed to the external environment. The unique carbohydrate specificities of plant lectins can facilitate mucoadhesion and cytoadhesion of drugs. As immunostimulatory molecules with an adjuvant effect plant lectins can also be employed in vaccine development. Keywords : Drug Delivery, Epithelium, Plant Lectin, Polymers, Vaccine 1. Introduction utilize the property of bioadhesion of certain polymers that become adhesive on hydration [3] and can be used The traditional routes of drug administration