Stella described how the molecules, which were first discovered in the 1890s, were adapted for medical use. They are not delivery systems, they are enabling systems. Because they are safe solubilizers, cyclodextrins are used in formulations of antipsychotic drugs, in a new formulation of itraconazole, and even in Shiseido perfumes. Pro-drugs are therapeutically inert when administered but become bioactive at or near the site of action in the body. Fosphenytoin is to be sold as cerebyx, a reformulation of the anticonvulsant phenytoin that can be given safely by intravenous injection.
Conventional phenytoin can cause cardiovascular collapse when given parenterally.
According to Stella, the Higuchi group would also like to contribute to the are of gene delivery. We're focusing on DNA fragments for vaccines. Institutions that are committed to meeting the gene therapy challenge have faced their own drug-delivery problems, and the progress is gradual. Physician-scientists have devoted attention to gene replacement in monogenic deficiency diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, and to many strategies for manipulating the genomes of cancer cells. Getting the right DNA into the right tissue is the challenge.