Albumin nanoparticles as nanocarriers for drug delivery: Focusing on antibody and nanobody delivery and albumin-based drugs

doi:10.1016/j.jddst.2019.101471

Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology

Volume 55, February 2020, 101471

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2019.101471 Get rights and content

Abstract

Given that albumin has important roles in human body, it can be used in the field of medicine and disease treatment. In recent years, albumin is used as a carries in disease diagnosis and treatment. Therapeutic drugs have some disadvantages such as low solubility, shallow absorption and many side effects all of which can be overcome using nanocarriers like albumin. In this article, we reviewed different types of albumin (human, bovine, and egg) and various methods in producing and transporting albumin. We also discussed the ability of albumin as nanoparticle in reducing drug side effects and increasing their stability.

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Albumin is a protein mostly known for its therapeutic application in drug delivery and disease diagnosis [1]. Through its various features and advantages, it has caught researcher attentions in the field of medical nanotechnology [2]. Due to its accessibility, it is highly used as a pattern in chemical and physical studies [2,3]. Albumin is extracted from different sources such as Ovalbumin (OVA), Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), Human Serum Albumin (HSA) and Rat Serum Albumin (RSA) [3,4]. According to recent studies albumin can bind to a broad range of molecules and substances including therapeutic drugs, antibodies and peptides [[5], [6], [7]]. This special feature introduced albumin as an important carrier in drug deliveries [[5], [6], [7]](Fig. 1). Albumin has various physiological roles in humans and improves the overall functions of every individual [8]. Specific and efficient drug delivery is a fundamental challenge in clinical therapies and is shifting attentions to carriers such as albumin in recent years [8,9]. The aim of this study is to review features of various albumins and their applications as nanocarriers focusing on antibody and nanobody delivery. Furthermore, different approaches in synthesizing albumin nanoparticles will be discussed. Meanwhile, we will examine albumin as a nanocarrier and review different studies regarding albumin carriers. There are different physicochemical approaches for producing albumin nanoparticles that are used based on the target of study [10,11]. Some of these approaches will be discussed in the following.

Section snippets

OVA

OVA is the most common types of food proteins frequently used in the food industries. It is a glycoprotein with 47 kDa molecular weight and 365 amino acid and one disulfide bond [12]. The main reason in choosing OVA as a drug carrier is advantages like easy access to its sources and its low price [3,11]. Features like pH and temperature sensitivity makes OVA a potential drug carrier [[13], [14], [15]]. OVA can increase MHC class I and induce lymphocytes activation. OVA can be used as a carrier

Physiologic roles of albumin

Albumin is one of the most important proteins in plasma with various vital roles. It consists 40% of the protein mass of plasma and has an amount of 35–50 g in every liter of serum [9,36]. Albumin is responsible for the 80% of osmotic pressure alone [4,37]. In addition, it has a role in pH maintenance through working as a buffer [4]. Albumin is known as a carrier of numerous molecules like fatty acids, eicosanoids, biliary acid, steroid hormones, vitamin D and C, fulate, copper, zinc, calcium,

Methods for producing albumin nanoparticles

There are different physical and chemical methods for producing albumin nanoparticles. Common chemical methods are desolvation, emolation and self-assembly [8,10,40]. Thermal gelation, nanoparticle albumin-bound (NAB) technology and nanospray drying are physical methods in producing albumin nanoparticles [11,41] (Table 1). Furthermore, there are different approaches for loading albumin nanoparticles on targeted drugs (for instance, covalent bonds, surface coating and electrostatic absorption).

Albumin as a nanocarrier

Albumin has unique features that make it a suitable option as a drug transporter. Some of them are as follow:

-
A great amount of albumin is already in our body, therefore injecting too much albumin would have lower side effects than other carriers [1].
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Transporting therapeutic drugs with albumin not only reduces costs but also decreases drug's toxicity [63].
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The bond between albumin and hydrophobic substances are reversible which facilitates transporting drug in the body and releasing it onto the

Utilizing albumin to improve functionality of the available drugs in the market

There are numerous albumin-based drug delivery systems. Albumin is utilized in various disease treatments such as diabetes, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

Alburx®: This drug contains 5–25% human albumin and is administered intravenously. Alburx® serves as a substitute for albumin upon heavy blood loss due to traumas like severe burn or laceration. In addition, it can be used during operations, dialysis, liver or pancreatic failure. This product is produced from the plasma of the American blood

Conclusion

Through recent years, albumin nanoparticles were the most important and promising nanoparticles in treating many diseases such as cancer. According to the aim of study, different types of albumin with different characteristics can be used. In the past years, albumin nanoparticles were used as nanocarriers. Studies show that conjugating albumin to drugs increases their stability and efficiency while reducing their toxicity. Different studies that conjugated albumin carriers in the in vivo and in

Author contribution

EK prepared draft of manuscript. MB red and edited the manuscript. FKL conceptualized and improved the manuscript.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

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Albumin nanoparticles as nanocarriers for drug delivery: Focusing on antibody and nanobody delivery and albumin-based drugs

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

OVA

Physiologic roles of albumin

Methods for producing albumin nanoparticles

Albumin as a nanocarrier

Utilizing albumin to improve functionality of the available drugs in the market

Conclusion

Author contribution

Declaration of competing interest

Acknowledgments

FEBS Lett.

Biomaterials

J. Control. Release

J. Control. Release

J. Chromatogr. B Biomed. Sci. Appl.

Food Hydrocolloids

Food Hydrocolloids

Biophys. J.

Curr. Opin. Solid State Mater. Sci.

J. Mol. Liq.

Biochim. Biophys. Acta Protein Struct. Mol. Enzymol.

J. Biol. Chem.

Colloids Surfaces B Biointerfaces

J. Control. Release

Spectrochim. Acta A Mol. Biomol. Spectrosc.

Int. J. Pharm.

Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm.

Int. J. Pharm.

Toxicol. Lett.

Int. J. Pharm.

Eur. J. Pharm. Sci.

Int. J. Pharm.

Nanomed. Nanotechnol. Biol. Med.

Eur. J. Canc. Suppl.

J. Control. Release

Mater. Sci. Eng. C

Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev.

J. Control. Release

Colloids Surfaces B Biointerfaces

J. Pharm. Sci.

J. Control. Release

J. Control. Release

Heliyon

Curr. Opin. Biotechnol.

Asian Pacific J. Trop. Biomed.

Mol. Immunol.

Mol. Immunol.

Biochim. Biophys. Acta Gen. Subj.

J. Control. Release

Biomaterials

Albumin as a drug delivery and diagnostic tool and its market approved products

Acta Pol. Pharm.

Reviews: the role of albumin in human physiology and pathophysiology, Part III: albumin and disease states

J. Parenter. Enteral Nutr.

All about Albumin: Biochemistry, Genetics, and Medical Applications

Albumin as a delivery carrier for rheumatoid arthritis

J Nanomed Nanotechol

The novel albumin–chitosan core–shell nanoparticles for gene delivery: preparation, optimization and cell uptake investigation

J. Nanoparticle Res.

Albumin nanostructures as advanced drug delivery systems

Expert Opin. Drug Deliv.

Antigen delivery with poly (propylacrylic acid) conjugation enhances MHC-1 presentation and T-cell activation

Bioconjug. Chem.