Title:Nanoparticles and the Mononuclear Phagocyte System: Pharmacokinetics and Applications for Inflammatory Diseases
VOLUME: 10 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Gina Song, Jennifer S. Petschauer, Andrew J. Madden and William C. Zamboni
Affiliation:Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 120 Mason Farm Road, suite 1013, CB 7361, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7361, USA.
Keywords:Drug-targeting, inflammatory diseases, macrophages, mononuclear phagocyte system, nanoparticles, pharmacokinetics.
Abstract:Nanoparticles (NPs) provide several advantages over the small molecule drugs including prolonged circulation
time and enhanced delivery to targeted sites. Once a NP enters the body, it interacts with host’s immune system and is engulfed
by cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). The interaction between NPs and the immune cells can result
in immunosuppression or immunostimulation, which may enhance or reduce the treatment effects of NPs. Therefore,
it is critical to understand the interactions between NPs and the immune system in order to optimize the treatment benefit
and minimize the undesirable toxicities of NPs. This review elaborates on the interaction between NP and the MPS and its
impacts on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of NPs and applications for inflammatory diseases.
This review also encompasses an overview of NPs being developed for treatment of inflammatory diseases.