Intracellular delivery of drugs by chitosan-based multi-liposomal complexes

Liposomal-Based Formulations: A Path from Basic Research to Temozolomide Delivery Inside Glioblastoma Tissue

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal brain cancer with a very difficult therapeutic approach and ultimately frustrating results. Currently, therapeutic success is mainly limited by the high degree of genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, the blood brain barrier (BBB), as well as increased drug resistance. Temozolomide (TMZ), a monofunctional alkylating agent, is the first line chemotherapeutic drug for GBM treatment. Yet, the therapeutic efficacy of TMZ suffers from its inability to cross the BBB and very short half-life (~2 h), which requires high doses of this drug for a proper therapeutic effect. Encapsulation in a (nano)carrier is a promising strategy to effectively improve the therapeutic effect of TMZ against GBM. Although research on liposomes as carriers for therapeutic agents is still at an early stage, their integration in GBM treatment has a great potential to advance understanding and treating this disease. In this review, we provide a critical discussion on the preparation methods and physico-chemical properties of liposomes, with a particular emphasis on TMZ-liposomal formulations targeting GBM developed within the last decade. Furthermore, an overview on liposome-based formulations applied to translational oncology and clinical trials formulations in GBM treatment is provided. We emphasize that despite many years of intense research, more careful investigations are still needed to solve the main issues related to the manufacture of reproducible liposomal TMZ formulations for guaranteed translation to the market.

Interaction of multicomponent anionic liposomes with cationic pyridylphenylene dendrimer: Does the complex behavior depend on the liposome composition?

Dendrimers are individual macromolecular compounds having a great potential for biomedical application. The key step of the cell penetration by dendrimers is the interaction with lipid bilayer. Here, the interaction between cationic pyridylphenylene dendrimer of third generation (D₃⁵⁰⁺) and multicomponent liquid (CL/POPC), solid (CL/DPPC) and cholesterol-containing (CL/POPC/30% Chol) anionic liposomes was investigated by dynamic light scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, conductometry, calorimetric studies and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. Microelectrophoresis and MD simulations revealed the interaction is electrostatic and reversible with only part of pyridinium groups of dendrimers involved in binding with liposomes. The ability of dendrimer molecules to migrate between liposomes was discovered by the labeling liposomes with Rhodamine B. The phase state of the lipid membrane and the incorporation of cholesterol into the lipid bilayer were found to not affect the mechanism of the dendrimer - liposome complex formation. Rigid dendrimer adsorption on liposomal surface does not induce the formation of significant defects in the lipid membrane pave the way for possible biological application of pyridylphenylene dendrimers.

Chitosan-based multi-liposomal complexes: Synthesis, biodegradability and cytotoxicity

Anionic liposomes were electrostatically adsorbed onto the surface of cationic chitosan particles cross-linked by sulfate anions, forming multi-liposomal containers (MLCs) for encapsulation and delivery of bioactive substances. An increase in molecular mass of chitosan from 30 to 300 kDa results in a size increase of chitosan particles, from 200 to 400 nm. Being saturated by liposomes, chitosan particles give MLCs of 320-540 nm. Each chitosan particle carries between 60 and 200 liposomes. The proteolytic complex Morikrase, a mixture of enzymes with various specificities, induces degradation of MLCs down to particles of size 10-15 nm; the higher the molecular mass of chitosan, the slower the enzyme-induced MLCs' degradation. pH variation within 5.5-7 and cholesterol incorporation into the liposomal membrane both have a minor effect on the rate of MLCs' biodegradation. Both the MLCs and the products of their biodegradation show low cytotoxicity. These results are of interest for constructing biodegradable capacious carriers of bioactive substances.