Albumin microspheres as drug carriers.

In order to improve the therapeutic index in cancer chemotherapy, it is necessary to deliver antitumor agents to target sites (tumor sites). One of the methods used to deliver those agents to target sites is to employ nontoxic and biodegradable drug carriers. Considerable efforts have been directed toward the development of drug carriers, i.e., DNA complexes, protein-drug conjugates, lactic/glycolic acid polymer, liposomes, emulsion, etc. Albumin microsphere is one of those drug carriers. This review describes the progress which has been made during the last 10 to 15 years in the application of albumin microspheres as drug carriers to cancer chemotherapy. It will cover a wide range of subjects including the preparation and physicochemical properties of microspheres containing antitumor agents, pharmacokinetics of the microspheres in experimental animals, and the antitumor efficacy by intra-arterial use against human primary metastatic liver tumor.