Bioengineering approaches to controlled protein delivery

Proteins are of crucial importance in all biologic organisms, in terms of both structure and function. Their deficits play central roles in many pathologic states, and their potential as powerful therapeutic agents has been widely recognized. Many issues, however, exist in delivery of biologically active proteins to target tissues and organs. Recent advances in biomedical engineering have lead to development of advanced techniques for controlled delivery of peptides and proteins, paving the way for their efficient use in treating human injury and disease. With a particular emphasis on most recent advances, this review discusses currently available techniques for controlled delivery of proteins and considers future research directions.