Drug carrier enabling site-specific release of conjugated therapeutics

A drug carrier or delivery vehicle is a synthetic or naturally derived system designed to transport therapeutic compounds to specific tissues or cells, allowing for controlled and site-specific release of conjugated drugs. Classes of carriers include liposomes, polymers, dendrimers, supramolecular systems, nanoparticles (inorganic/organic), and naturally-derived extracellular vesicles such as exosomes. These systems can encapsulate or conjugate drugs and release them in response to external or internal triggers (such as pH, enzymes, temperature, or magnetic field), thereby improving efficacy and reducing toxicity by targeting drug release. Carriers are used extensively for cancer therapies, anti-infective agents, immunotherapies, and investigational treatments for other diseases. While enabling superior control over pharmacokinetics and tissue specificity, challenges include carrier stability, immunogenicity, off-target effects, and scalable manufacturing. This entry should be used for referencing the class, not for mapping to a single canonical drug target.

Other names

drug delivery vehicledrug carriertargeted drug delivery systemmolecular vehicle

Conditional or triggered release (responsive to environment, such as pH, enzymes); Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect in tumors; Active targeting via surface ligands; Nanoparticle-mediated endocytosis; Mimicry of viral envelope properties