Liposomal Drug Delivery

Liposomes are emerging as uni or multilamellar micro particulate phospholipid bilayer sphere vesicles, which can be produced synthetically and have the ability to encapsulate any kind of drug molecule. Either hydrophilic or lipophilic drug substances can be easily entrapped in these vesicles for efficient delivery of a drug. Over the past decades, these have been under investigation to develop novel and revolutionary drug delivery aspects in the pharmaceutical field. Liposomes are based on a simple mechanism of formation of the enclosed sphere formed when amphiphilic lipid comes in contact with the aqueous layer. The advancements in liposomes have paved pathways towards efficient drug delivery through alteration in the bioavailability and bio-distribution of drugs. Classified into various types, liposomes can be prepared using various techniques involving mechanical dispersion, solvent dispersion, and detergent removal methods. The development of these liposomes has profound the advanced delivery characterization. This helps deliver the molecules at the target site, and the number of liposomal products in clinical use has now increased. Recent advances are incorporating the emergence of second-generation liposomes over conventional liposomes, which will help modulate the encapsulation efficiency and drug release from liposomes. This literature briefly focusses on various aspects of liposomes, which further relates to the growing advances and interest in this field.

Keywords: Bio-distribution, Drug delivery, Drug release, Encapsulation efficiency, Liposomes, Liposomal products, Mechanical dispersion, Multilamellar vesicles, Phospholipids, Second generation liposomes, Solvent dispersion, Targeting, Unilamellar vesicles.