LIPOSOMES AS CARRIERS OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS OR IMMUNOMODULATORY AGENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF INFECTIONS

Targeting of antimicrobial agents by means of liposomes is under inves tigation and may be of importance in the treatment of infections that prove refractory to conventional forms of antimicrobial treatment. The ability to achieve a significantly longer residence time of liposomes in plasma and limited uptake of liposomes by the mononuclear phagocyt e system opens up new areas of investigation and potential therapeutic application. By manipulating the liposomal composition, rates of upta ke and intracellular degradation can be influenced and thereby the rat es at which liposome-encapsulated agents are released and become avail able to exert their therapeutic action. With respect to the targeting of macrophage modulators at the mononuclear phagocyte system by means of liposomes for maximal stimulation of the nonspecific antimicrobial resistance, experimental evidence is now available of the potential us efulness of liposomes as carriers of these agents. This approach may a lso be of importance for the potentiation of treatment of severe infec tions.