E-selectin has been chosen as a target for several therapeutic and medical imaging applications, based on its expression in the vicinity of inflammation, infection or cancer. These systems for drug delivery and molecular imaging include immunoconjugates, liposomes, nanoparticles, and microparticles prepared from a wide range of starting materials including lipids, synthetic polymers, polypeptides and organo-metallic structures.
After a brief introduction presenting the selectin family and their implication in physiology and pathology, this review focuses on the formulation of these new delivery systems targeting E-selectin at a molecular level.