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The intracellular residence of the Leishmania parasite in the cells of the reticuloendothelial system--predominantly the liver and spleen--prompted the development of a polymeric, particulate, colloidal carrier system for the antileishmanial drug sodium stibogluconate. The system was pharmaceutically characterized for shape, size, structural integrity, electrokinetic properties and in vitro drug release. The relationship between such physical parameters as size, electrophoretic mobility and surface charge and the effectiveness of the system is discussed. Subsequent in vivo studies in rats revealed that the carrier system successfully vectored the drug to the site of infection.

Targeting to organs other than the RES-bearing organs is difficult to achieve. A nanoparticle-based emulsion delivery system was prepared and its efficacy in enhancing the lymphatic uptake of the anti-filarial drug diethylcarbamazine was evaluated. It was compared with a simple w/o emulsion and a control aqueous solution. The effect of route of administration on the lymphatic uptake was studied and it was found that the i.p. route gave better results as compared to the i.v. route, in which total lack of lymphatic uptake was observed. The nanoparticle-in-oil emulsion system holds excellent potential as a lymphotropic carrier system.

A self-regulatory delivery system for insulin was designed, based on the competitive and complementary binding behaviour of Concanavalin with glucose and glycosylated insulin. By encapsulating the Con-A bound G- insulin in a suitable polymer membrane, which was permeable to both glucose and insulin, the insulin efflux was regulated in response to glucose influx.

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