Medical Breakthroughs From Liposomal Formulation

By Kristen Baird


Among the major areas of care fixated by people is their health. As such, advances in medicines are duly welcome and highly appreciated. Progress in research of various diseases and development of drugs to help curb them is always a good indicator. One such aspect of progress has been noted in liposomal formulation.

There has always existed the problem of ingested drugs being digested before reaching their intended target areas in the body. The process of these formulations was discovered as scientists were looking for a solution to this problem. In this solution, the drug would be closed in and protected by a layer of phospholipids and aqueous solution.

The simplicity of the liposomes' structural composition is key to its performance. They are made up of an aqueous solution which is engulfed in a strengthened mesh of either natural or synthetic phospholipids. The advantage of this is that it can fuse non-reactively with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, each attaching to the element it does not react to.

The core structure of liposomes is what causes them to be preferred among researchers of various fields and disciplines. They are formed when phospolipids are immersed in water and a specific amount of heat directed toward them. To determine if it is an appropriate carrier for a given drug, the chemical composition should be bench-marked against that of the drug, so as to avert reactions.

Advances like these have led to researchers getting further progress in the field. The most famous result being an anthracycline drug known as Doxorubicin, developed specifically to curb the spread of various variations of cancer. It inserts strains of base RNA and DNA into the malignant cells, and also the topoisomerase enzyme in later stages. This actively inhibits the spread of the disease.

It is due to advances in the medical field that control of many diseases is not a reality. Terminal illnesses previously viewed as a death sentence are now controllable and some even treatable. Research on cancer and liposomes has led to development of anti-cancer drugs an their carriers. The development has brought about continuing tests and usage of doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, lipoplatin, aroplatin among others.

Some diseases which were considered deadly can now be mitigated via vaccines. Research in the field of liposomes has led to development of several vaccines which can now be actively used as preventative medicine. Most however are still undergoing rigorous testing. Some of the vaccines created include Inflexal V against influenza, Epaxal for Hepatitis, and Stimuvax for cancer.

The use of liposomes as a carrier for dietary supplements is a newer idea that I undergoing further research. The idea is to use the same technique as the currently successful targeted drug delivery to deliver various supplements taken orally to specific areas in the body. This is however still undergoing research and testing. The use of liposomes in creation of various drugs and vaccines has led to a huge leap in terms of drug research and development. The process of the formulation has thus been lauded as wielding enormous potential for development of better medical solutions for a lot of persistent medical conditions.




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