The physiology of cardiovascular disease and innovative liposomal platforms for therapy

iology of cardiovascular disease and innovative liposomal platforms for therapy Review (1238) Total Article Views Authors: Ruiz-Esparza GU, Flores-Arredondo JH, Segura-Ibarra V, Torre-Amione G, Ferrari M, Blanco E, Serda RE Published Date February 2013 Volume 2013:8 Pages 629 - 640 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S30599 Received: 01 October 2012 Accepted: 06 November 2012 Published: 11 February 2013 Guillermo U Ruiz-Esparza,1,3 Jose H Flores-Arredondo,2 Victor Segura-Ibarra,3 Guillermo Torre-Amione,2,3 Mauro Ferrari,1 Elvin Blanco,1,* Rita E Serda1,3,* 1Methodist Hospital Research Institute, 2Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; 3Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Cátedra de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Monterrey, Mexico *Senior authors Abstract: Heart disease remains the major cause of death in males and females, emphasizing the need for novel strategies to improve patient treatment and survival. A therapeutic approach, still in its infancy, is the development of site-specific drug-delivery systems. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems, such as liposomes, have evolved into robust platforms for site-specific delivery of therapeutics. In this review, the clinical impact of cardiovascular disease and the pathophysiology of different subsets of the disease are described. Potential pathological targets for therapy are introduced, and promising advances in nanotherapeutic cardiovascular applications involving liposomal platforms are presented.