Cyclodextrins in peptide and protein delivery

The objective of this contribution is to summarize recent findings on the potential of cyclodextrins (CDS) and their derivatives as carriers for therapeutically important peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides. As one of the indices relevant to bioadaptability of CDs in pharmaceutical uses, their interaction with cellular membranes in vitro is outlined. CDs enable the creation of advanced dosage forms for the next generation of drugs that are difficult to formulate and deliver with the existing pharmaceutical excipients. Furthermore, the diagnostic uses of CDs for the direct measurement of cholesterol in high-density and low-density lipoproteins in serum are discussed on the basis of their ability to recognize the surface properties of each lipoprotein particle. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.