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Tuesday 27 January 2015

A Brief Overview Of The 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.

The process of this formulation was discovered 50 years ago. It came about as a solution to a problem of drugs taken orally being exhausted and digested before reaching the intended target areas. The liposomal way was deemed best suited since it was a favorable carrier to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.

Liposomes bio structure is favorable. They are mainly aqueous at the core. This is close in by a layer of phospholipids. Various strains have different types of phospholipids they could be either natural or synthetically prepared in a laboratory. This provides an ideal state where both extremes of drugs can be safely transported, by either attaching to the liquid core or the lipid outer layers.

Researchers have found the process of formation of these compounds may be critical to their performance. They are formed when strands of phospholipids are put in water, and a given heat amount is directed to them. The composition of the formed liposomes is tested against that of this drug it is intended to carry, so as to determine compatibility and avoid destructive reactions.

Advances such as these have led to further progress in the medical field. The most famous being development of Doxorubicin, a form of anthracycline. This is a drug that was developed to curb the spread of cancer. It does this in two stages, first, by inserting base stains of DNA and RNA molecules which inhibits replication of cells. The second phase is inhibition of an enzyme known as topoisomerase II, which serves the same purpose of inhibition of cellular growth.

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.

There has been considerable progress in the development of vaccines for diseases which do not have known cures. Such include hepatitis A, which now has a vaccine, Epaxal, under development. Inflexal V is a vaccine developed for several types of influenza especially in children. A vaccine for cancer known as Stimuvax is also in the offering.

Another point of progress thanks to this formulation has been in delivery of dietary supplements. It is still a new area under testing, but has great promise considering the level of success the formulations has garnered from targeted drug delivery. The process of the formulation is hence referred to as a new era of medical advances.




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