Novel Method for Synthesizing Monodisperse Dispersion of Nanometer Liposomes

Abstract

Liposomes are used for drug delivery applications due to their ability to carry water-soluble and insoluble drug molecules. While there are various methods for liposome preparation, the methodology usually involves post-processing steps such as filtration and extrusion to obtain monodisperse liposomes of size less than 100 nm. Here, the focus is on a novel single-step process to obtain monodisperse liposomes in the nanometer range using colloidal particles that are immobilized inside a cylindrical column and forms a packed bed. The steps consist of introducing lipids dissolved in an organic solvent into the bed followed by solvent evaporation by passing a stream of nitrogen gas which forms a coating of dried lipid over the colloidal particles. Hydration of the lipid bilayer with an aqueous buffer causes the unbinding of lipid bilayers resulting in the formation of monodisperse liposomes. Our results indicate that the liposome size depends upon the surface roughness of the packing and not on the pore size. The process is robust and could be easily adapted for point-of-care therapeutics that involves liposomes for drug delivery.