Disposition characteristics of emulsions and incorporated drugs after systemic or local injection

Lipid emulsions are useful tools for controlling the in vivo disposition of drugs and plasmid DNA. The dispositions of lipid emulsions are determined by their tissue interaction depending on the anatomical and physiological characteristics of each tissue and the physicochemical and biological properties of lipid emulsions. In addition, the retention of drugs is another issue, as too rapid a release of the drug would lead to failure of exerting its therapeutic potency. This review presents an overview about the disposition profiles and various physicochemical properties of lipid emulsions and incorporated drugs after systemic or local injection. Controlled biodistribution of lipid emulsions and incorporated drugs are also discussed.