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Targeted drug delivery system inspired by macropinocytosis

Gan Jiang1, Chenxuan Wei1, Yaoxing Chen1

  • 1Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 280 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai 200025, China.

Journal of Controlled Release : Official Journal of the Controlled Release Society
|June 12, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Macropinocytosis, a cellular uptake process, offers a promising route for delivering larger drug quantities. This review explores its potential for targeted intracellular drug delivery systems.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biotechnology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Macropinocytosis is an evolutionarily conserved endocytic process in eukaryotic cells.
  • It facilitates the internalization of large fluid volumes, making it suitable for drug delivery.
  • Macropinocytosis plays roles in both healthy and pathological cellular functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of macropinocytosis origins and properties.
  • To summarize the roles of macropinocytosis in health and disease.
  • To highlight drug delivery systems utilizing macropinocytosis for internalization.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on macropinocytosis.
  • Analysis of biomimetic and synthetic drug delivery systems.
  • Discussion of clinical application challenges and future research directions.

Main Results:

  • Macropinocytosis enables the uptake of substantial fluid-phase drugs.
  • Various drug delivery systems are internalized via macropinocytosis.
  • This process presents a novel strategy for targeted intracellular delivery.

Conclusions:

  • Macropinocytosis-based drug delivery holds significant potential for enhanced efficiency and specificity.
  • Further research is needed to improve cell-type selectivity, control drug release, and mitigate toxicity.
  • This approach offers a promising avenue for future targeted therapies.
Keywords:
Biomimetic drug delivery systemsInfectionMacropinocytosisMalignant tumorNeurodegenerative diseaseSynthesized drug delivery systemsTargeted drug delivery

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