[Nanosystems and targeted transport of medicinal preparations to the brain].

Intense efforts in the last decades have resulted in numerous inventions to improve drug delivery to CNS. Some of them have significant potential for clinical applications. At the same time, the variety of these strategies is in itself indicative of great difficulties inherent in the transfer of therapeutic and imaging agents across the blood-brain barrier.

[Direct drug delivery to the brain].

The authors of the review discuss the present-day state of and promising approaches to directed delivery of biological agents into the brain. Special attention is drawn to micellar and liposomal transport through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) targeted by immunochemical vectors, such as native or hydrophobized antibodies to specific antigens located at the BBB or in the brain parenchyma.

[Production and characteristics of PEGylated immunoliposome transport vectors specific for neural tissue astrocytes].

PEGylated (stealth) immunoliposomes covalently linked to antibodies against human gliofibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were prepared by coupling the thiolated monoclonal anti-GFAP antibodies, D4, with a maleimide derivative of the phosphatidyl ethanolamine of the liposomal membrane. Depending on the initial protein-to-lipid ratios, the immunoliposomes prepared (with a diameter of about 70 nm) were coupled with 60 to 240 molecules of the antibodies. In vitro experiments with cultures of the embryonic rat brain astrocytes demonstrated a specific binding of these immunoliposomes, which could be inhibited by the preincubation of the cells with free non-coupled D4 but not with non-specific antibodies.

[Liposomal formulations of anthracycline antibiotics].

Anthracycline antibiotics with significant antitumor activity are widely used for treatment of various oncologic diseases in spite of their poor pharmacokinetics and severe side-effects. To improve the efficacy of treatment of oncologic patients, liposomal formulations of the anthracycline antibiotics, such as Doxil, TLC D-99, and DaunoXome, have been developed. Pharmacokinetic parameters of liposomal doxorubicin and daunorubicin differ markedly from the parameters of their free formulations.

[Liposome-oriented transport of therapeutic drugs].

The attempts to use liposomes as containers for the transport of therapeutic drugs have been undertaken during the recent 40 years. However, the first success was achieved only in the 80-ies, when the sterically stabilized liposomes were invented. It was found that the liposome biological layer modified through, adding to it, certain polymers prolonged the blood circulation and reduced the capture of liposomes by RES cells.

[Prostate-specific membrane antigen and its role in diagnosis of prostate cancer].

This paper reviews recent achievements of the employment of prostate specific membrane antigen in the diagnostics of prostate cancer.

[Use of ion-exchange sorbents for determining drug preparations and their metabolites in biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography].

High performance liquid chromatography has acquired great importance recently for an analysis of the drugs in biological fluids of the body. Phase inversion sorbents are particularly widely used today. However, the use of ion-exchange sorbents is fairly promising for an analysis of the drugs capable of ionizing in an aqueous solution.