Solid lipid nanoparticles as a drug delivery system for peptides and proteins.

Solid lipid particulate systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), lipid microparticles (LM) and lipospheres have been sought as alternative carriers for therapeutic peptides, proteins and antigens. The research work developed in the area confirms that under optimised conditions they can be produced to incorporate hydrophobic or hydrophilic proteins and seem to fulfil the requirements for an optimum particulate carrier system. Proteins and antigens intended for therapeutic purposes may be incorporated or adsorbed onto SLN, and further administered by parenteral routes or by alternative routes such as oral, nasal and pulmonary. Formulation in SLN confers improved protein stability, avoids proteolytic degradation, as well as sustained release of the incorporated molecules. Important peptides such as cyclosporine A, insulin, calcitonin and somatostatin have been incorporated into solid lipid particles and are currently under investigation. Several local or systemic therapeutic applications may be foreseen, such as immunisation with protein antigens, infectious disease treatment, chronic diseases and cancer therapy.