Liposomes-based nanoparticles for cancer therapy and bioimaging

Liposome, one of the most well-established nanomedicines in cancer therapy and bioimaging, is a great delivery system with their flexibility and versatility. Liposomes resemble the biological cell membrane, adopting a lipid bilayer structure which provides protection and solubilisation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents. A wide range of therapeutic drugs and imaging agents can, therefore, be encapsulated and delivered. Cationic liposomes, for example, are one of the popular choices of non-viral vector for the fast-growing field of gene therapy. Their physiochemical properties can be engineered and modified to suit specific applications simply by changing the lipid components and the corresponding ratio. This also expands the potential of having additional functionalities such as long-circulating, targeting and stimuli-responsiveness. In addition to delivering therapeutics and imaging agents, interactions between the lipids and the payloads can be beneficial for imaging enhancement. Stimuli-sensitive liposomes can be used along with diagnostic and therapeutics for image-guided drug delivery, providing real-time monitoring of the drug delivery process as well as spatiotemporal control over the release of drugs. Liposomes will be expected to be a promising delivery system and tool for personalised medicine.