Modified human serum albumins as carriers for the specific delivery of antiviral drugs to liver- and blood cells

The general goal of this study, was to determine the possibility of a targeted delivery of antiviral drugs to their site of action. We decided to focus on two viral diseases; HIV and Hepatitis B, that replicate in T,-lymphocytes, monocytes/macrophages and hepatocytes respectively. The specific aims of the present study were: - To study the distribution and activity of the endocytosing glycoprotein receptors in the abovementioned cell types. - To synthesize macromolecular carriers, that are specifically endocytosed via these receptors on the target cells. - To covalently couple antiviral drugs to the carriers and study the influence of drug conjugation on cellular distribution. - To study the intracellular release of the drug. - To compare the antiviral activity of the drug-carrier conjugates and the (glyco-)protein carriers themself, versus the uncoupled drugs in vitro. - To study the pharmacokinetics of the (glyco-)protein carriers and their drug conjugates.