SYNTHESIS OF ALBUMIN-DEXTRAN SULFATE MICROSPHERES POSSESSING FAVORABLE LOADING AND RELEASE CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE ANTICANCER DRUG DOXORUBICIN

Doxorubicin (DOX), commonly used in cancer chemotherapy, produces undesirable side effects such as cardiotoxicity. To minimise these, attempts have been made to improve targeting of the drug by using microparticulate carriers to deliver DOX to the tumour site. Much of the work so far performed has used albumin based microspheres as they are non-toxic and biodegradable. In a continuation of this research, we report the synthesis of an albumin-dextran sulfate microsphere with very favourable loading (payloads up to 84%) and release characteristics for the drug DOX. A variety of release profiles for these microspheres can be obtained by loading the particles to different extents. These profiles can be further modified by treating the loaded microspheres with Fe(III) which retards the release of DOX. This versatility in the release profiles of these particles offers promise for their use in the clinical treatment of tumours.