Lipid Based Drug Delivery Systems for Proteins

Proteins are pharmaceuticals with high specificity §and activity at relatively low concentrations, but §to fully exploit their potential, an increased §effort has been put into the research and §development of suitable drug delivery concepts. The §success of a protein depends on the development of a §formulation that maintains the native protein §structure and activity during preparation of the §delivery system. A joint characteristic of many §delivery systems are the presence of two phases and §an interface. During preparation, proteins are §exposed to mechanical stress, to different §excipients, to the mixing of the phase, and to the §creation of an oil-water interface. Since proteins §are amphiphilic molecules the effect exercised by §this exposure to the interface on the structure of §the protein is of great importance. This book §contains a literature review with emphasis on the §various aspects of protein physical stability at the §oil-water interface and exemplifies the major §choices that have to be made when examining the §structural changes in various formulations. It is §especially useful to new pharmaceutical scientists §moving into this field.