Lymphatic system and Nanoparticulate carriers for lymphatic delivery

The lymphatic system consists of lymph, lymphatic pathways such as lymphatic capillary, lymphatic vessel, lymphatic duct etc., and some lymphatic organs including lymph node, thymus, and spleen. The delivery of drugs and bioactive compounds via the lymphatic system is dependent on the physiology of the system. The lymphatic system is able to avoid first-pass metabolism, thus the lymphatic system is suitable for compounds with lower bioavailability, i.e., those undergoing more hepatic metabolism. The lymphatic route also provides an option for the delivery of drugs to treat cancer and human immunodeficiency virus, which can travel through the lymphatic system. The lymphatic route plays an important role in transporting extracellular fluid to maintain homeostasis and in transferring immune cells to injury sites. This paper provides a detailed review of novel lipid-based nanoformulations and their lymphatic delivery. The uptake and distribution of lipid-based nanoformulations by the lymphatic system depends on factors such as particle size, surface charge, molecular weight, and hydrophobicity. Nanoparticulate carriers and their lymphatic delivery via different routes, as well as the in vivo and in vitro models used to study drug transport in the lymphatic systems are also discussed.