Targeted drug delivery: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:13, 15 February 2025

Targeted Drug Delivery[edit]

A liposome used in targeted drug delivery

Targeted drug delivery is a method of delivering medication to a patient in a manner that increases the concentration of the medication in some parts of the body relative to others. This form of delivery is intended to reduce side effects and increase the efficacy of the drug by concentrating the therapeutic effects in the desired area.

Mechanism[edit]

Targeted drug delivery systems are designed to deliver drugs to specific cells or tissues. This can be achieved through various mechanisms, including:

Passive targeting: Utilizes the natural distribution of the drug in the body, often relying on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect seen in tumor tissues.
Active targeting: Involves modifying the drug or its carrier with ligands that bind specifically to receptors on the target cells.

Types of Carriers[edit]

Several types of carriers are used in targeted drug delivery, including:

Liposomes: Spherical vesicles with a phospholipid bilayer, used to encapsulate drugs and improve their delivery to target sites.
Nanoparticles: Particles in the nanometer size range that can be engineered to carry drugs and target specific tissues.
Microspheres: Small spherical particles that can be used to deliver drugs over an extended period.

Applications[edit]

Targeted drug delivery is used in various medical fields, including:

Oncology: To deliver chemotherapeutic agents directly to tumor cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissues.
Cardiology: For delivering drugs to specific areas of the heart or blood vessels.
Neurology: To cross the blood-brain barrier and treat neurological disorders.

Advantages[edit]

The advantages of targeted drug delivery include:

Increased efficacy: By concentrating the drug at the site of action, the therapeutic effect is enhanced.
Reduced side effects: Minimizing exposure of non-target tissues to the drug reduces adverse effects.
Improved patient compliance: Targeted delivery can reduce the frequency of dosing and improve patient adherence to treatment regimens.

Challenges[edit]

Despite its advantages, targeted drug delivery faces several challenges:

Complexity of design: Developing systems that can accurately target specific cells or tissues is complex and costly.
Biocompatibility: Ensuring that the delivery system is non-toxic and does not provoke an immune response.
Regulatory hurdles: Navigating the regulatory landscape for approval of new drug delivery systems can be challenging.

Related Pages[edit]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Targeted drug delivery''', also known as [[Smart drug delivery]], is a method of delivering medication to a patient in a manner that increases the concentration of the medication in some parts of the body relative to others. This method of delivery is largely founded on [[Nanomedicine]] and [[Nanotechnology]]. It is a method of treatment that is often optimized for its therapeutic properties and is designed to maximize the effect of drugs in those areas of the body where the disease is localized, thereby reducing the negative impact on healthy tissues.
+== Targeted Drug Delivery ==
-== Overview ==
+[[File:Liposome.jpg|thumb|right|A liposome used in targeted drug delivery]]
-The goal of targeted drug delivery is to prolong, localize, target and have a protected drug interaction with the diseased tissue. The conventional drug delivery system is the absorption of the drug across a biological membrane, whereas the targeted release system releases the drug in a dosage form. The advantages to the targeted release system is the reduction in the frequency of the dosages taken by the patient, having a more uniform effect of the drug, reduction of drug side-effects, and reduced fluctuation in circulating drug levels. The disadvantage of the system is high cost, which makes productivity more difficult and the reduced ability to adjust the dosages.
+'''Targeted drug delivery''' is a method of delivering medication to a patient in a manner that increases the concentration of the medication in some parts of the body relative to others. This form of delivery is intended to reduce side effects and increase the efficacy of the drug by concentrating the therapeutic effects in the desired area.
-== Types of Targeted Drug Delivery ==
+== Mechanism ==
-Targeted drug delivery systems have been developed to optimize regenerative techniques. The system is based on a method that delivers a certain amount of a therapeutic agent for a prolonged period of time to a targeted diseased area within the body. This helps maintain the required plasma and tissue drug levels in the body, thereby preventing any damage to the healthy tissue via the drug. The drug delivery system is highly integrated and requires various disciplines, such as chemists, biologists, and engineers, to join forces to optimize this system.
+Targeted drug delivery systems are designed to deliver drugs to specific cells or tissues. This can be achieved through various mechanisms, including:
-=== Active Targeting ===
+* '''Passive targeting''': Utilizes the natural distribution of the drug in the body, often relying on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect seen in tumor tissues.
+* '''Active targeting''': Involves modifying the drug or its carrier with ligands that bind specifically to receptors on the target cells.
-[[Active targeting]], also known as ligand-mediated drug delivery, is a method of delivering medication to a patient in a manner that increases the concentration of the medication in some parts of the body relative to others.
+== Types of Carriers ==
-=== Passive Targeting ===
+Several types of carriers are used in targeted drug delivery, including:
-[[Passive targeting]] exploits the difference between tumor blood vessels and normal blood vessels. Drug delivery systems, lipid- or polymer-based nanoparticles, can be designed to improve the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of the drug.
+* '''[[Liposome|Liposomes]]''': Spherical vesicles with a phospholipid bilayer, used to encapsulate drugs and improve their delivery to target sites.
+* '''[[Nanoparticle|Nanoparticles]]''': Particles in the nanometer size range that can be engineered to carry drugs and target specific tissues.
+* '''[[Microsphere|Microspheres]]''': Small spherical particles that can be used to deliver drugs over an extended period.
-== See Also ==
+== Applications ==
-* [[Drug delivery devices]]
+Targeted drug delivery is used in various medical fields, including:
-* [[Drug delivery to the brain]]
-* [[Drug delivery to the lungs]]
-* [[Drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye]]
-* [[Drug delivery to the anterior segment of the eye]]
-== References ==
+* '''[[Oncology]]''': To deliver chemotherapeutic agents directly to tumor cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissues.
+* '''[[Cardiology]]''': For delivering drugs to specific areas of the heart or blood vessels.
+* '''[[Neurology]]''': To cross the blood-brain barrier and treat neurological disorders.
-<references />
+== Advantages ==
-[[Category:Pharmacology]]
+The advantages of targeted drug delivery include:
-[[Category:Drug delivery devices]]
-[[Category:Nanomedicine]]
-[[Category:Nanotechnology]]
-[[Category:Medical treatments]]
-{{pharmacology-stub}}
+* '''Increased efficacy''': By concentrating the drug at the site of action, the therapeutic effect is enhanced.
+* '''Reduced side effects''': Minimizing exposure of non-target tissues to the drug reduces adverse effects.
+* '''Improved patient compliance''': Targeted delivery can reduce the frequency of dosing and improve patient adherence to treatment regimens.
+== Challenges ==
+Despite its advantages, targeted drug delivery faces several challenges:
+* '''Complexity of design''': Developing systems that can accurately target specific cells or tissues is complex and costly.
+* '''Biocompatibility''': Ensuring that the delivery system is non-toxic and does not provoke an immune response.
+* '''Regulatory hurdles''': Navigating the regulatory landscape for approval of new drug delivery systems can be challenging.
+== Related Pages ==
+* [[Drug delivery]]
+* [[Pharmacokinetics]]
+* [[Nanomedicine]]
+* [[Biopharmaceutical]]
+[[Category:Drug delivery systems]]