Liposomal Chemotherapeutics

Abstract

Currently, six liposomal chemotherapeutics have received clinical approval and many more are in clinical trials or undergoing preclinical evaluation. Liposomes exhibit low toxicity and improve the biopharmaceutical features and therapeutic index of drugs, thereby increasing efficacy and reducing side effects. In this review we discuss the advantages of using liposomes for the delivery of chemotherapeutics. Gemcitabine and paclitaxel have been chosen as examples to illustrate how the performance of a metabolically unstable or poorly water-soluble drug can be greatly improved by liposomal incorporation. We look at the beneficial effects of liposomes in a variety of solid and blood-borne tumors, including thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and multiple myeloma.

Comparative Study of PEGylated and Conventional Liposomes as Carriers for Shikonin

“…For instance, cationic liposomes are more readily taken up by cells in comparison with anionic or neutral liposomes, due to attractive forces between the positively charged liposomes and the negatively charged outer cell membrane. However, such interactions may also damage the cell membrane, resulting in toxicity, and they have been found to cause pulmonary toxicity, due to the generation of reactive oxygen species [44].…”

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-dendron phospholipids as innovative constructs for the preparation of super stealth liposomes for anticancer therapy

“…Since then, 14 liposomal drugs have been approved and 21 are enrolled in clinical trials [16][17][18]. Among these formulations several are approved for the treatment of cancer, including DepoCyt (liposomal cytarabine), DaunoXome (liposomal daunorubicin), Myocet (liposomal doxorubicin, approved in Europe and Canada), Doxil/Caelyx (liposomal doxorubicin), Sarcodoxome (liposomal doxorubicin), Marqibo (liposomal vincristine), and Lipusu (liposomal paclitaxel, approved in China) [18,19].…”

Therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin delivery by a CO2 generating liposomal platform in breast carcinoma

“…Liposome-based anticancer drug delivery systems have great potential for cancer chemotherapies [1,2]. Although liposomes provide a promising chemotherapeutic strategy, their use in clinical trials for controlled drug release has been limited.…”

“…To increase drug release from liposomes, we encapsulated both ammonium bicarbonate (NH 4 HCO 3 ) and doxorubicin (DOX) into TSL to generate CO 2 bubbles in response to external hyperthermia [14]. NH 4 HCO 3 is widely used as a CO 2 decompose to generate CO 2 bubbles at temperatures above 40°C [15,16]. Thus, we postulated that external hyperthermia-induced gas generation in liposomes could promote drug release by increasing liposomal membrane destabilization ( Fig.…”