Advances in drug delivery and targeting

This review covers a variety of techniques aimed at improving the specificity of delivery of both biologic and cytotoxic agents to tumor tissue while sparing normal tissue. The major areas reported on include further attempts to increase the ability of monoclonal antibodies, both conjugated and unconjugated, to target tumor tissue. It also examines the early clinical trials of liposomes as carriers of both biologics and cytotoxics and the potential problems of this modality. A number of studies in the area of regional drug delivery, including intraperitoneal, intravesical, intra-arterial, and intratumor, highlight the many clinical problems still to be resolved. Improved targeting of antitumor agents to sites of malignant disease appears likely over the next decade judging by the recent developments we review. Although much clinical and laboratory research will be required to achieve this goal, the likely directions appear to be established.