Platelets and PEGylated lecithin liposomes: When stealth is allegedly picked up on the radar (and eaten)

Abstract

PEGylation, or the chemical conjugation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to an anchor molecule, is frequently employed in nano- and microparticle drug delivery technology to sterically stabilize the drug carrier and to confer ‘stealth’ properties. The hydrophilicity of PEGylated formulations, the repulsive interactions between PEGgrafted surfaces and blood constituents, and the decreased rate of protein adsorption on the surface of PEGylated drug carriers contribute to the evasive properties through which rapid clearance by cells of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) is considerably forestalled (Harding et al., 1997; Gabizon and Papahadjopoulos, 1992).