CLINICAL PHARMACOKINETIC ASPECTS OF STEALTH LIPOSOMES: A REVIEW

Stealth liposomes are long-circulating liposomes with inclusion of the synthetic polymer poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in liposome composition. The presence of PEG on the surface of the liposomal carrier has been shown to extend bloodcirculation time while reducing mononuclear phagocyte system uptake. Further these liposomes exhibit increasing drug stability and solubility, lowering toxicity, increasing half-life, decreasing clearance and immunogenicity. Sterically stabilized vesicles can act either as long circulating micro reservoirs or tumour (or site of inflammation and infection) targeting vehicles. The former applications require larger liposomes (0.2µm) while the latter one is due to the ability of small vesicles to leave the blood circulation. The altered biodistribution of stealth liposomes, in addition to the accumulation at the sites characterised with porous blood capillaries, such as in tumors, inflammations, and infections. A pharmacogenomic approach for delivery of siRNA to cells is the use of liposomes as targeted delivery vehicles. Stealth technology summarizes pre-clinical and clinical data relating to the principal liposome formulations, encapsulating active molecules, with high target efficiency and activity. Further these liposomes offer improvements in bioreclamation and various monitoring and analytical-diagnostic applications. The paper reviews the clinical aspects of these liposomes with longer therapeutic half lives in diseases like Reconstitution of membrane proteins into artificial membranes, model biological membranes, cell function, fusion, recognition , pharmaceutics studies of drug action , medicine drug-delivery and medical diagnostics, gene therapy and there extensive use in the pharmaceutical industry.

Author(s): Drabu Sushma, Khanna Surabhi, Bajaj Ritesh, Khurana Bhawna

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