The role of albumin receptors in regulation of albumin homeostasis: Implications for drug delivery

Malin Bern; Kine Marita Knudsen Sand; Jeannette Nilsen; Inger Sandlie; Jan Terje Andersen

doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.06.006

The role of albumin receptors in regulation of albumin homeostasis: Implications for drug delivery

J Control Release. 2015 Aug 10:211:144-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.06.006. Epub 2015 Jun 6.

Authors

Malin Bern¹, Kine Marita Knudsen Sand¹, Jeannette Nilsen², Inger Sandlie¹, Jan Terje Andersen³

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Immune Regulation (CIR) and Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway; CIR and Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Norway, PO Box 4950, N-0424 Oslo, Norway.
² CIR and Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Norway, PO Box 4950, N-0424 Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
³ CIR and Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Norway, PO Box 4950, N-0424 Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 26055641
DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.06.006

Abstract

Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood and acts as a molecular taxi for a plethora of small insoluble substances such as nutrients, hormones, metals and toxins. In addition, it binds a range of medical drugs. It has an unusually long serum half-life of almost 3weeks, and although the structure and function of albumin has been studied for decades, a biological explanation for the long half-life has been lacking. Now, recent research has unravelled that albumin-binding cellular receptors play key roles in the homeostatic regulation of albumin. Here, we review our current understanding of albumin homeostasis with a particular focus on the impact of the cellular receptors, namely the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) and the cubilin-megalin complex, and we discuss their importance on uses of albumin in drug delivery.

Keywords: Albumin; Cubilin; Engineering; FcRn; Half-life; Megalin; Therapeutics.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Binding Sites / physiology
Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
Homeostasis / physiology*
Humans
Protein Structure, Secondary
Receptors, Albumin / chemistry
Receptors, Albumin / physiology*
Serum Albumin / administration & dosage
Serum Albumin / chemistry
Serum Albumin / physiology*

Substances

Receptors, Albumin
Serum Albumin