Canadian Medical Guide > Chemicals and Drugs > Pharmaceutical Preparations > Dosage Forms > Drug Carriers Terms and Definitions




Drug Carriers

Medical Definition: Forms to which substances are incorportated to improve the delivery and the effectiveness of drugs. Drug carriers are used in drug-delivery systems such as the controlled-release technology to prolong in vivo drug actions, decrease drug metabolism, and reduce drug toxicity. Carriers are also used in designs to increase the effectiveness of drug delivery to the target sites of pharmacological actions. Liposomes, albumin microspheres, soluble synthetic polymers, DNA complexes, protein-drug conjugates, and carrier erythrocytes among others have been employed as biodegradable drug carriers.
Guide Notes: IM general only; coord with specific drug
Previously Indexed: Delayed-Action Preparations (1966-1987),Drugs (1966-1987)
Drug Carriers Categories.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Liposomes - Artificial, single or multilaminar vesicles (made from lecithins or other lipids) that are used for the delivery of a variety of biological molecules or molecular complexes to cells, for example, drug delivery and gene transfer. They are also used to study membranes and membrane proteins.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Virosomes - Semi-synthetic complex derived from nucleic-acid free viral particles. They are essentially reconstituted viral coats, where the infectious nucleocapsid is replaced by a compound of choice. Virosomes retain their fusogenic activity and thus deliver the incorporated compound (antigens, drugs, genes) inside the target cell. They can be used for vaccines (VACCINES, VIROSOME), drug delivery, or gene transfer.

Drug Carriers Medical Definitions and Terms

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