Cell organelle-shaped liposomes: A novel approach to present the stable intracellular drug delivery systems

Abstract

Caveolae are lipid raft-enriched flask-shaped, expose in the plasma membrane of various cell types. It has become clear now that caveolae and their caveolin “marker proteins” are associated in a several cellular procedures including endocytosis, lipid homeostasis, signal transduction, and tumorigenesis. Caveolin has been shown to have high binding affinity for cholesterol and sphingolipids. Caveolin oligomers construct filamentous networks that are believed to stabilize the membrane. Liposomes are the well-known drug delivery systems with spherical shape that can be produced from natural non-toxic phospholipids and cholesterol. Liposomes have been used as a considerable tool in biology, biochemistry, medicine, and drug delivery. The utilization of liposomes as a drug-delivery system has become more attractive in carrying systemically administered drugs with narrow therapeutic windows. The similarity between plasma membrane and liposomes from several points of view gives hope that the incorporation of caveolin in the phospholipid bilayer structures of liposomes can result in tightening and therefore stabilizing and long circulation of these structures.