ABSTRACT
The major physiological function of the lymphatic system is to maintain the body’s water balance; it acts as a drainage system throughout the body returning excess fluid, protein, and waste products from the tissue space into the blood circulatory system. The lymphatic system consists of a network of vessels, which drain most regions of the body. The vesicle may fuse with lysosomal vesicles causing digestion of the contents by lysosomal enzymes, the products of which are utilized by the cell or, finally, the vesicles may transport macromolecules across the entire cell and into the lumen of the vessel. Targeting drugs into the lymph has certain advantages, which arise mainly as a result of the unique anatomy and physiology of the lymphatic system. These include avoidance of first pass metabolism, direct delivery of cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of lymphatic cancer, and the possibility of regulating the rate of drug delivery.
