Resealed Erythrocytes as Drug Carriers and Its Therapeutic Applications

Resealed Erythrocytes as Drug Carriers and Its Therapeutic Applications

Prabhakar Singh (University of Allahabad, India), Sudhakar Singh (Kolkata Medical College, India) and Rajesh Kumar Kesharwani (NIMS University, India)
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 27
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1762-7.ch018

Abstract

In this pharma innovative world, there are more than 30 drug delivery systems. Today's due to lacking the target specificity, the present scenario about drug delivery is emphasizing towards targeted drug delivery systems. Erythrocytes are the most common type of blood cells travel thousands of miles from wide to narrow pathways to deliver oxygen, drugs and nutrient during their lifetime. Red blood cells have strong and targeted potential carrier capabilities for varieties of drugs. Drug-loaded carrier erythrocytes or resealed erythrocytes are promising for various passive and active targeting. Resealed erythrocyte have advantage over several drug carrier models like biocompatibility, biodegradability without toxic products, inert intracellular environment, entrapping potential for a variety of chemicals, protection of the organism against toxic effects of the drug, able to circulate throughout the body, ideal zero-order drug-release kinetics, no undesired immune response against encapsulated drug etc. Resealed erythrocytes are rapidly taken up by macrophages of the Reticuloendothelial System (RES) of the liver, lung, and spleen of the body and hence drugs also. Resealed erythrocytes method of drugs delivery is secure and effective for drugs targeting specially for a longer period of time. This chapter will explain the different method of drug loading for resealed erythrocytes, their characterization, and applications in various therapies and associated health benefits.
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Blood

Blood is mobile connective tissue composed of fluid called plasma and cells have been extensively uses in pathologies and research laboratory. Blood have several functions including transport of oxygen to cell for aerobic respiration, nutrients, drugs, and excretes toxic substances generated endogenously. Circulating nature of blood makes it universal and primary sample for assessing several organ functions test. Blood have two major components as cellular component (erythrocytes, white blood cells and platelets) and the solvent of cellular component called plasma. Cellular component are again fractionated major cell RBCs and WBCs and platelets (Guyton & Hall, 2006). Blood is a tissue of mesenchymal origin with liquid matrix. The matrix in which the cells are suspended is termed as plasma. This plasma holds the blood cells in form of a suspension. As whole plasma consists of 55% of blood volume and rest 45% is made up of formed elements (blood cells). The cellular component of blood are categories as red blood cells (RBCs) or erythrocytes, white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets.

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