The use of lectins for liposome targeting in drug delivery

Most mammalian cell surfaces are covered with a layer of oligosaccharides covalently linked to glycoproteins and glycolipids that form part of the surface structure, or "glycocalyx," of the plasma membrane. In bacteria, the cells' outer walls contain sugar-amino heteropolymers (peptidoglycans) in the case of Gram-positive strains or lipopolysaccharides in the case of Gram-negative strains. These cell surface sugar (monosaccharide) units are potential binding sites or receptors for many lectins and offer a means of targeting materials, such as drugs to the cell.