Development of Theranostic Cationic Liposomes Designed for Image-Guided Delivery of Nucleic Acid

Abstract

Cationic liposomes have been considered as potential vectors for gene delivery thanks to their ability to transfect cells with high efficiency. Recently, the combination of diagnostic agent and therapeutic agents in the same particle to form a theranostic system has been reported. Magnetic liposomes are one of these examples. Due to the magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in the liposomes, they can act as a drug delivery system and, at the same time, a magnetic resonance imaging contrast enhancement agent or hyperthermia. In this work, nucleic acid delivery systems based on magnetic cationic liposomes (MCLs) were developed. Two different techniques, reverse phase evaporation and cosolvent sonication, were employed for liposome preparation. Both strategies produced MCLs of less than 200 nm with highly positive charge. Enhancement of their transverse and longitudinal relaxivities r2 and r1 was obtained with both kinds of magnetic liposomes compared to free magnetic nanoparticles. Moreover, these MCLs showed high capacity to form complexes and transfect CT-26 cells using the antibiotic-free pFAR4-luc plasmid. The transfection enhancement with magnetofection was also carried out in CT26 cells. These results suggested that our MCLs could be a promising candidate for image-guided gene therapy.

Methods of Liposomes Preparation: Formation and Control Factors of Versatile Nanocarriers for Biomedical and Nanomedicine Application

“…Ultra-magnetic liposomes (UMLs), prepared by means of the reverse-phase evaporation method, exhibited a higher magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) loading efficiency (about 100-fold), compared to the classical thin-film hydration method [ 91 ]. Do et al [ 92 ] developed nucleic acid-delivery nano-formulation systems based on magnetic cationic liposomes (MCLs), by means of reverse-phase evaporation and cosolvent sonication techniques. The new MCLs’ nano-formulation composed of the lipids DPPC, DSPC, DOPE, 18:0 PEG2000 PE, 14:0 PEG750/1000/2000 PE, and cationic lipid DMAPAP, showed high capacity and efficiency to form complexes and transfect (CT-26) cells (using the antibiotic-free pFAR4-luc plasmid), thanks to their ability to transfect cells with high efficiency.…”

Liposome-polymer complex for drug delivery system and vaccine stabilization

“…Drug release from MNPs has both a time-and concentrationdependent pattern [55,56,57,58,59,60]. Magnetic nanoparticles can be encapsulated into liposomes using the thin-film hydration method [61,62] or reverse-phase evaporation method [63,64,65]. Hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles will be integrated into the liposome bilayer membrane, while hydrophilic magnetic nanoparticles will be integrated into the liposome core.…”

Magnetoliposomes: recent advances in the field of controlled drug delivery

“…Focusing on this, Do et al [99] recently reported an optimized preparation of cationic magnetoliposomes for magnetic transfection of a pFAR4-luciferase plasmid to CT26 cells.…”