A novel therapeutic strategy based on tissue-selective vascular targeting system

Yu Sakurai, Kazuaki Kajimoto, Hideyoshi Harashima

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University

It is the ultimate goal of drug delivery system (DDS) to control drug distribution in the body for the optimum therapy. Doxil is one of the most successful DDS to deliver Doxorubicin to tumor tissue based on a passive targeting. In this review, recent progresses on an active targeting, which is expected as a key technology to extend therapeutic area with nano carriers. How to target tumor vasculature is explained based on our recent study. In addition, a breakthrough technology to target adipose tissue, where there has been no DDS with nano carriers, is also introduced and a new strategy for anti-obese therapy is also proposed.

Address correspondence to Dr. Hideyoshi Harashima, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University(Nishi 6 Kita 12, Sapporo City, Hokkaido 060-0812, Japan)