Liposome Technology for Cancer Treatment
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: 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.
Source: The Bombay Technologist
Authors: Swarali Paranjape, Mihika Yeolekar
Institution: Institute of Chemical Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3135843876