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Erythrocyte engineering for drug delivery and targeting
Author(s) -
Magnani Mauro,
Rossi Luigia,
D'ascenzo Marcello,
Panzani Ivo,
Bigi Leonardo,
Zanella Andrea
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
biotechnology and applied biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.468
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1470-8744
pISSN - 0885-4513
DOI - 10.1111/j.1470-8744.1998.tb00505.x
Subject(s) - in vivo , red blood cell , tonicity , drug delivery , drug , chemistry , serial dilution , red cell , pharmacology , biomedical engineering , biochemistry , biology , medicine , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , alternative medicine , organic chemistry
A new procedure for the encapsulation of non‐diffusible drugs into human erythrocytes was developed. With as little as 50 ml of blood and by using a new apparatus, it was possible to encapsulate a variety of biologically active compounds into erythrocytes in 2 h at room temperature and under blood‐banking conditions. The process, which is based on two sequential hypotonic dilutions of washed red cells followed by concentration with a haemofilter and resealing of red cells, allows a 35–50% cell recovery and approx. 30% encapsulation of added drugs. The resulting processed erythrocytes have a normal survival in vivo and can be modified further, with the same apparatus, to increase their recognition by tissue macrophages to perform as a drug‐targeting system. The new equipment designed and built for this procedure was named ‘Red Cell Loader’.