L. Rossi et al., Erythrocyte-mediated delivery of dexamethasone in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, BIOT APP B, 33, 2001, pp. 85-89
Human erythrocytes from ten patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary dis
ease (COPD) were loaded with increasing amounts of dexamethasone 21-phospha
te and were re-infused into the original donors. Drug-loaded erythrocytes a
cted as circulating bioreactors, converting the non-diffusible dexamethason
e 21-phosphate into the diffusible dexamethasone. Pharmacokinetic analyses
on these patients showed that a single administration of drug-loaded erythr
ocytes was able to maintain detectable dexamethasone concentrations in bloo
d for up to seven days. This continuous release of dexamethasone was parall
eled by the suspension of beta (2)-agonist and oral corticosteroid treatmen
ts by all of the patients,Thus dexamethasone 21-phosphate-loaded erythrocyt
es are safe carriers for corticosteroid analogues and are a useful alternat
ive to frequent oral or inhaled drugs in elderly patients with COPD.