Partitioning of propranolol in the phospholipid bilayer coat of anionic magnetoliposomes

Magnetoliposomes and their potential in the intelligent drug-delivery field

Research advancements for magnetically guided drug delivery encompass not only the improvement of the design, synthesis and evaluation of more selective nanomaterials bearing magnetic properties, but also the optimization of the transport and delivery of magnetic agents. Such versatile platforms can be utilized for simultaneously carrying therapeutics and diagnostics.

PEGylated lipids impede the lateral diffusion of adsorbed proteins at the surface of (magneto)liposomes

Protein binding to nanoparticles is a crucial issue in biomedicine, as it triggers their clearance from the bloodstream after intravenous injection. Many techniques are available for measuring strong protein binding interactions, but weak dynamic interactions are more difficult to assess. To tackle the latter problem, in the present work, cytochrome c was chosen as a representative model of a water-soluble protein and the adsorbing particulates were either small unilamellar phospholipid vesicles or 14 nm diameter solid superparamagnetic iron oxide cores onto which a phospholipid bilayer was strongly chemisorbed (so-called magnetoliposomes). Incorporation of cytochrome c oxidase into the phospholipid bilayer allowed the association of cytochrome c with the surface of the particles to be measured with high sensitivity by VIS-spectrophotometry. The impact of enzyme density as well as some of the physical features of the PEG corona (degree of PEGylation and PEG chain length) adjacent to the surface of the lipid structures on the overall kinetics was also investigated.

Magnetoliposomes: versatile innovative nanocolloids for use in biotechnology and biomedicine

The high biocompatibility and versatile nature of liposomes have made these particles keystone components in many hot-topic biomedical research areas. Liposomes can be combined with a large variety of nanomaterials, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocores. Because the unique features of both the magnetizable colloid and the versatile lipid bilayer can be joined, the resulting so-called magnetoliposomes can be exploited in a great array of biotechnological and biomedical applications. In this article, we highlight the use of magnetoliposomes in immobilizing enzymes, both water-soluble and hydrophobic ones, as well as their potential in several biomedical applications, including MRI, hyperthermia cancer treatment and drug delivery. The goal of this article is not to list all known uses of magnetoliposomes but rather to present some conspicuous applications in comparison to other currently used nanoparticles.