Main description:

This book provides an up-to-date evaluation of clinical aspects of newly available "long-circulating liposome" formulations. Based on results from numerous clinical studies, the book describes the fundamentals of this new technology, discusses how it may influence the pharmacology of existing well-known agents reformulated in this manner, and elaborates on future expectations. It provides the practicing clinician - in particular, oncologists and critical care infectious disease physicians - with the tools needed to use these new formulations towards the best outcome for the patient.

Contents:

1. Long Circulating Liposome Therapeutics: From Concept to Clinical Reality.- 2. Oncologic Agents in Sterically Stabilized Liposomes: Basic Considerations.- 3. Liposomal Vincristine: The Central Role of Drug Retention in Defining Therapeutically Optimized Anticancer Formulations.- 4. Long Circulating Liposome-Encapsulated Tumor Necrosis Factor in the Treatment of Solid Tumors.- 5. Therapy of Human Carcinoma Xenografts with Doxorubicin Encapsulated in Sterically Stabilized Liposomes (DOXIL (R)): Efficacy and Safety Studies.- 6. Design and Development of Long Circulating Liposomal Daunorubicin for In Vivo Targeting of Solid Tumors: DaunoXome (R).- 7. Enhancement of Doxorubicin by Encapsulation in Long circulating Thermosensitive Liposomes Combined with Local Hyperthermia.- 8. Liposomal Localization and Chemotherapy for AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma.- 9. Pegylated-Liposomal Doxorubicin (Doxil (R)) in the Treatment of AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma.- 10. DaunoXome (R) (Liposomal Daunorubicin) for First-Line Treatment of Advanced, HIV-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma.- 11. Initial Clinical Evaluation of Pegylated-Liposomal Doxorubicin in Solid Tumors.- 12. Antibacterial Therapy with Sterically Stabilized Liposome Formulations.- 13. AmBisome (R): Long Circulating Liposomal Formulation of Amphotericin B.- 14. Steric Stabilization of Liposomes Containing Amphotericin B: A Future Direction in Antifungal Therapy?.- 15. Clinical and Preclinical Studies with Low-Clearance Liposomal Amikacin (MiKasome (R)).- 16. Sterically Stabilized Liposomes to Image Infection and Inflammation.- 17. Long Circulating Liposomes for Diagnostic Imaging.- 18. Tumor Imaging with Long Circulating Liposomes.- 19. Antibody-Mediated Targeting of PEG-Coated Liposomes.- 20. Small Molecule Ligands for Targeting Long Circulating Liposomes.