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Harnessing Endogenous Mechanisms for Targeted Drug Delivery

  • 1st Edition - December 4, 2025
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Anisha A. D’Souza, Lara Scheherazade Milane, Mansoor M. Amiji
  • Language: English

Harnessing Endogenous Mechanisms for Targeted Drug Delivery presents a comprehensive exploration of the evolving landscape of targeted drug delivery, emphasizing the strategic uti… Read more

Description

Harnessing Endogenous Mechanisms for Targeted Drug Delivery presents a comprehensive exploration of the evolving landscape of targeted drug delivery, emphasizing the strategic utilization of the body's intrinsic biological pathways. This authoritative two-volume reference addresses the critical need for precision in therapeutic delivery, overcoming physiological, anatomical, and immunological barriers through innovative endogenous mechanisms. By integrating foundational concepts with advanced methodologies, the work underscores the transition from traditional passive and active targeting to sophisticated endogenous strategies that enhance drug specificity and efficacy.

The text systematically examines the multifaceted challenges inherent in drug delivery, including detailed analyses of in vivo barriers such as the blood-tumor barrier, blood-brain barrier, ocular, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal obstacles, as well as cellular and intracellular impediments. It further elucidates endogenous stimuli-responsive systems, nutrient transporter exploitation, glyco-targeting, and stealth peptide modifications. Comprehensive coverage extends to drug conjugates, protein corona phenomena, and cell-based delivery platforms encompassing stem cells, leukocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets. The series also addresses extracellular vesicles, viral vectors, and plant virus-based carriers, culminating in critical discussions on manufacturing complexities, regulatory considerations, and clinical translation challenges.

This definitive resource is indispensable for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and professionals in academia and industry engaged in targeted drug delivery research and development. By providing an in-depth understanding of endogenous targeting mechanisms and their translational potential, the book fosters innovation and supports the advancement of precision therapeutics with the goal of improving patient outcomes.

Key features

  • Provides comprehensive insights into endogenous strategies for targeted drug delivery
  • Highlights innovative techniques like using cells as Trojan Horse-Cloaking Particles
  • Explores the clinical and commercial translation of these strategies
  • Offers practical solutions to contemporary challenges in the area
  • Emphasizes the role of disease-specific stimuli and plasma proteins in drug delivery

Readership

Individuals in decision-making positions within pharmaceutical companies may also benefit from the book’s novel approaches and provide strategies to adopt

Table of contents

SECTION 1: Delivery challenges and opportunities

1. Introduction and impact statement

2. Challenges and opportunities in targeted delivery

SECTION 2: Delivery barriers

3. Blood—tumor barriers

4. The blood—brain barrier

5. Overcoming ocular barriers for effective drug delivery

6. Pulmonary barriers to targeted delivery

7. Exploiting gastrointestinal barriers for targeted drug delivery

8. Cellular and intracellular barriers for drug delivery

SECTION 3: Endogenous targeting strategies

9. Overview of endogenous targeted delivery strategies

10. Endogenous pH alterations for precision drug delivery

11. Hypoxia responsive delivery systems

12. Redox-responsive micellar drug delivery systems

13. Nutrient transporter-targeted drug delivery

14. Glyco-targeted delivery systems

15. Surface-modified delivery systems for stealth function

SECTION 4: Drug conjugates

16. Therapeutic exploitation of the neonatal Fc receptor in albumin-based drug designs

17. Lectin conjugates for targeted delivery

SECTION 5: Protein corona-enabled delivery

18. Overview of protein corona formation and implications

19. Protein corona-mediated targeted delivery

20. Protein corona—enabled cloaking systems for drug delivery

21. Harnessing the protein corona for brain targeted delivery

SECTION 6: Cell-based drug delivery

22. Stem cell-based drug delivery system

23. Leukocyte-targeting drug delivery systems

24. Large peritoneal macrophage tropism for targeted delivery

25. Neutrophil-based drug delivery systems

26. Erythrocyte-based delivery

27. Platelet-based drug delivery systems

SECTION 7: Cellular “backpacks”

28. Cellular backpacks as drug delivery systems

29. Immune cell backpacks

30. Red blood cell as a hitchhiking platform for targeted systemic drug delivery

SECTION 8: Extracellular vesicles

31. Extracellular vesicle journey: Cellular secretion, communication, and functions

32. Extracellular vesicles for targeted delivery

33. Surface-engineered extracellular vesicles

34. Role of bacterial extracellular vesicles in health and diseases

SECTION 9: Viral particles for targeted delivery

35. Engineered viral vectors as tools for therapeutic gene delivery

36. Targeted delivery using virus-like particles

37. Engineered plant viruses

SECTION 10: Clinical Translation―Challenges and Opportunities

38. Manufacturing of complex pharmaceuticals

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: December 19, 2025
  • Language: English

About the editors

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Anisha A. D’Souza

Dr. D’Souza is a Research Fellow at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, and is a Visiting Scholar at the Northeastern University, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, in Boston, MA. She earned her PhD (Tech.) in Pharmaceutics from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology at the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai (ICT, formerly UDCT). Following her postdoctoral at IIT-Bombay, she served as a Research Formulation Scientist at Piramal Enterprises Limited, Mumbai. In this role, she contributed to projects achieving successful Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals by the US FDA. Dr. D’Souza’s research interests primarily revolve around colloidal drug delivery systems, viz., polymeric and solid lipid nanoparticles for enhanced bioavailability, controlled delivery and targeting. Additionally, she also explores nucleic acid delivery platforms for addressing CNS-related neurodegenerative disorders. She has published research papers and reviews in peer-reviewed journals, authored numerous book chapters, and co-edited a Springer-published book titled “Targeted Intracellular Drug Delivery by Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis”.

Affiliations and expertise
Northeaster University, USA

LM

Lara Scheherazade Milane

Dr. Lara Milane is Assistant Teaching Professor in Biotechnology at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. She is interested in Mitochondrial Medicine. She is working on developing nanomedicines for a range of diseases (cancer, neurodegenerative disease, aging) that manipulate mitochondria for therapeutic outcomes. Dr. Milane was trained as a National Cancer Institute/ National Science Foundation Nanomedicine Fellow at Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Dr. Milane is an intuitive cancer biologist with research interests in developing translational nanomedicines that exploit the hallmarks of cancer.
Affiliations and expertise
Assistant Teaching Professor in Biotechnology, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, USA

MA

Mansoor M. Amiji

Mansoor M. Amiji is the Distinguished Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. Dr. Amiji has edited a number of books and is a frequently published author. His research focuses on the synthesis of novel polymeric materials for medical and pharmaceutical applications, drug delivery systems and nanomedical technologies, and his contributions in research advising, grant reviews for various organizations and editorial work for journals are invaluable.
Affiliations and expertise
Distinguished Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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