HSAbased

HSAbased, or HSA-based, refers to drug delivery and imaging systems that use human serum albumin as the primary material. Human serum albumin is the most abundant protein in human plasma and is inherently biocompatible, biodegradable, and capable of binding a wide range of ligands, including hydrophobic drugs.

In pharmaceutical contexts, HSA-based carriers can encapsulate or associate with therapeutics either through hydrophobic interactions within albumin's binding pockets or by covalent conjugation to amino groups. This allows solubilization of poorly water-soluble compounds and leverages natural albumin transport pathways, including binding to gp60 and SPARC, to promote tumor accumulation via the enhanced permeability and retention effect.

Applications include oncology, where albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) is a prominent example approved for multiple cancers; other HSA-drug conjugates and nanoparticles are under development for chemotherapeutics, biologics, and siRNA. HSA-based systems are also used as ultrasound contrast agents, with albumin-stabilized microbubbles such as Albunex and Optison.

Advantages include improved solubility and bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs, prolonged circulation time, reduced systemic toxicity, and favorable safety profile. Limitations involve variability in albumin sources, potential immunogenic responses, batch-to-batch heterogeneity, manufacturing and regulatory challenges, and some drugs may not form stable HSA conjugates.

Overall, HSAbased platforms represent a broadly used strategy in biomedicine, combining biocompatibility with versatile drug loading and inherent biological interactions to enhance delivery and imaging.