Liposomes are microencapsulated and nano-encapsulated drug delivery systems. Liposomes are designed like a sandwich wherein the hydrophilic layer which contains the drug to be delivered at the target site is encapsulated between two hydrophobic layers. This enables efficient delivery of hydrophilic drugs through the body membranes which are lipophilic bio-membranes. The size of liposomes can be engineered according to the pore size of the target membranes. The development of the liposome technology has enabled to increase the therapeutic indices of agents mainly through alteration of biodistribution and bioavailability. The development of second generation liposomes from the existing liposomes is based on the conventional liposome systems. The second generation liposomes are long-circulating liposomes formed by modifying composition and length of the lipid chain and charge of the vesicle. Liposomes are gaining importance in targeted drug delivery, especially in cancer. The chemotherapy and radiotherapy used for treating cancer have multiple implications on the entire body. This is due to non-targeted treatment. The use of liposomes will help in identifying the cancerous cells selectively and thus can potentially reduce the extreme side effects of the medication. This selective nature is termed as 'ligand targeted therapeutics'. These ligands would be used to modify the liposomal surface to identify specific antigens of malignant cells. The advantages of liposomes in targeted delivery, along with the different categories of liposomes depending on size and lipid layers are discussed in this review.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.