Lactosamination of liposomes and hepatotropic targeting research

Site-specific delivery of therapeutic drugs to their target cells is a major scientific challenge for the pharmaceutical sciences. It offers a number of advantages over conventional drug administration. With drug targeting, high local concentrations of the drug can be achieved, thus circumventing many unwanted side effects. Various carriers have been suggested for the delivery of drugs, including liposomes[1 - 5] and (neo ) glycoproteins[6-8]. The asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) has frequently been utilized for targeting drugs to the parenchymal liver cell[6- 12]. Liposomes have several advantageous characteristics as drug carrier, and particularly, ligandtacked liposomes achieve a highly effective targeting[13]. Hara et al reported that asialofetuin (AF)-tacked liposomes distributed to rat hepatocytes selectively in vivo[14], and ASGP-R mediated the uptake of AF-liposomes encapsulating IFN-γ by isolated rat hepatocytes in vitro[15]. Lactosaminated human serum albumin (L-HSA) is a neoglycoprotein taking number of galactose residue as terminal sugar[6].

INTRODUCTIONSite-specific delivery of therapeutic drags to their targetcells is a major scientific challenge for the pharmaceuticalsciences.It offers a number of advantages overconventional drag administration.With drag targeting,high local concentrations of the drag can be achieved,thuscircumventing many unwanted side effects.Various