Different routes of cell internalization for diasteromeric liposomes
Giuseppina BOZZUTO (Istituto Superiore di Sanità)
ABSTRACT
Since their discovery in 1961, liposomes have been studied in depth and they continue to constitute a field of intense research.
Liposomes are valued for their biological and technological advantages, and are considered to be the most successful drug carrier system known to date. Notable progress has been made, and several biomedical applications of liposomes are either in clinical trials, are about to be put on the market or have already been approved for public use.
Though liposome-based drugs are in clinical use, the mechanism of cell internalization of liposomes is yet object of controversy. Thus, we developed cationic liposomes, formulated with two stereoisomeric cationic gemini amphiphiles, 1a and 1b, to deliver a photosensitizer to cancer cells. The stereochemistry of the gemini component was shown to affect cell uptake of the photosensitizer, as well as its intracellular distribution. We report a detailed biological investigation aimed at elucidating the pathways of internalization and the intracellular trafficking of the two liposome formulations.
