Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The target delivery of proteins/peptides drug is a difficulty in the field of drug carriers. As one of positive ion polymer, chitosan has great the biological degradability, compatibility, and mechanical properties. It is known as one of most promising carrier materials of biological macromolecules and active materials.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the superiority of chitosan as a protein carrier, to review the research progress of chitosan and its derivates in protein and peptide drug carrier.
METHODS: A computer-based online search of CNKI, Elsevier and Willey databases between 2005 and 2010 was performed for English and Chinese articles about the chitosan carrier of protein drugs, drug release and microparticles using the key words “chitosan/chitin, microspheres, biomaterial, biopolymer, drug carrier, drug delivery, cell adhesion, ECM, peptide, chemical modification, bioactivity, protein drug, gene delivery, micro- and nanoparticles” in English and “chitosan/chitin, microspheres, carrier, biomacromolecule, gene therapy, protein drug, ECM, bioactivity, biocompatibility, biodegradation” in Chinese.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Protein and peptide drug has good curative effect, small dose, and few side effects, but poor protein stability and absorption, as well as short biological half-life in vivo are big obstacle for drug use. Many results report polymer drug carrier, but there are still some problems in many aspects of protein and peptide drug transport. Because of excellent promotion adsorption performance, chitosan and chitosan derivatives are regarded as mucous transport proteins and antibody materials, but the stability and quantitative accurately releasing in the preparation still face many challenges.