For years, biotechnology researchers and pharmaceutical companies have devoted countless hours and resources to develop "smart" drug delivery devices. Targeted drug delivery improves the efficiency of therapeutic administration and attenuates the unintended side effects of global drug dissemination. By harnessing the power and design of the body's natural immune system, scientists can assemble biocompatible drug delivery vehicles that mimic the action of white blood cells during an inflammatory response. The book focuses primarily on the physiology of L-selectin, a molecule expressed on the surface of most white blood cells, because it is an ideal targeting ligand for any drug delivery vehicle.
The book will be helpful to any immunologist because it assimilates a complex body of literature describing the cellular inflammatory response, and it should aid any biotechnologist or bioengineer design improved drug delivery devices.