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Liposomal Formulation Delivers Medication More Effectively

By Mayra Pierce


Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of substances on the atomic and molecular level. Liposomes are small encapsulating bubbles that are microscopic in size, made of materials called phospholipids that mimic human cells, and have the property of being both attracted and repelled by water. Liposomal formulation includes the process that forms those bubbles, as well the encapsulation and delivery of the drugs contained within.

The significance of these vesicular containers containing soluble molecules first became apparent soon after they appeared during the 1960s. Pharmacists as well as researchers recognized their potential for safely and slowly administering specific pharmaceuticals important to treating cancer and other illnesses. The new method could target undesirable cells more efficiently, and had fewer side issues associated with some medications.

The concept they use is radically different because it does not depend of standard modes of absorption typical of IV or oral administration. Conventional chemical processes can make management of specialized drugs more difficult. They are indiscriminate in their toxicity, and affect healthy organs as well, resulting in unnecessary damage and more lengthy recovery. When delivered via liposomes, release of toxic medication can be better controlled.

The drug molecules encased within each structure are suspended in water and surrounded by an artificially or naturally created membrane. The formulation of designed liposomes turns them into ideal mechanisms for hydrophilic drugs, or those that are attracted to and become suspended in water. When prepared according to current methods, the structures exist in two primary types, unilammelar or multilammelar. There are subcategories that include different sizes.

Molecules of a particular drug are encased within a membrane, and can be transferred to the targeted cells upon activation. They can be effectively released into an organism by fusing specific layers with other living cells, which delivers the tiny doses they contain. Other methods of release use reactive chemicals that also encourage diffusion at the molecular level. The overall result is a more controllable, steady release.

Not only can this process be more easily managed by physicians, but it leaves no residual toxins behind, and is compatible biologically with human cells. Comparatively recent developments in ultrasound technology use sound waves to activate these chemical invaders, increasing their strength in regions where it is most needed. Others are being administered via the respiratory system, where they are deposited in the lungs and slowly released.

It is still costly to manufacture these microscopic capsules for medical use. As continuing research produces a growing number of uses for this kind of nanotechnology, the overall expense will decline, but will not become cheap. Because this is relatively new technology in many ways, there are issues that still must be resolved. Some types of structures have experienced cellular leaking, and others have been affected by oxidation.

Like some other medical innovations, liposomes are now being introduced into consumer products. They are currently promoted as a beneficial way to administer herbal, vitamin and mineral supplements, and some individuals have created their own unique formulations. Although commercial applications produce controversy regarding efficacy, the continued development of new processes provides the basis for more effective medical uses.




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