LYMPHATIC DELIVERY: CONCEPT, CHALLENGES AND APPLICATIONS

The lymphatic system is an additional circulatory system throughout the entire body. It plays a critical role in the recognition of immune system and response to disease. Lymphatic delivery has attracted a lot of attention for providing preferential chemotherapy and enhancing bioavailability of drugs that undergo hepatic first-pass metabolism. The anatomy and physiology of the lymphatic system, routes of administration and different physicochemical parameters of drug/carriers are overviewed. There are numerous challenges in targeting drugs and bioactives to specific sites, maintaining the desired action and crossing all the physiological barriers. Lymphatic delivery for various diseases employing various nanocarriers emerges as a new technology to provide a better therapeutic and diagnostic outcome.