Folatereceptorsarecellularsurface
Markersfornumeroussolidtumorsandmyeloidleukemias.?
Avantinowoffersaderivative,DSPE-PEG-folate,whichcanbeincorporatedinto
liposomesasatargetingligand.
Folatetargeteddrugdeliveryhasemergedasanalternativetherapyforthetreatmentandimagingofmanycancersandinflammatorydiseases.Duetoitssmallmolecularsizeandhighbindingaffinityforcellsurfacefolatereceptors(FR),folateconjugateshavethe
ABIlitytodeliveravarietyofmolecularcomplexestopathologiccellswithoutcausingharmtonormaltissues.ComplexesthathavebeensuccessfullydeliveredtoFRexpressingcells,todate,includeproteintoxins,immunestimulants,chemotherapeuticagents,liposomes,nanoparticles,andimagingagents.ThisreviewwillsummarizetheapplicationsoffolicacidasatargetingligandandhighlightthevariousmethodsbeingdevelopedfordeliveryoftherapeuticandimagingagentstoFR-expressingcells.
Hilgenbrink,A.R.,Low,P.S.(2005).FolateReceptor-MediatedDrugTargeting:FromTherapeuticstoDiagnostics.Wiley-Liss,Inc.andtheAmericanPharmacistsAssociationJPharmSci94:2135–2146.