Insight Into Nanoliposomes as Smart Nanocarriers for Greening the Twenty-First Century Biomedical Settings

Abstract

The necessity to develop more efficient, biocompatible, patient compliance, and safer treatments in biomedical settings is receiving special attention using nanotechnology as a potential platform to design new drug delivery systems (DDS). Despite the broad range of nanocarrier systems in drug delivery, lack of biocompatibility, poor penetration, low entrapment efficiency, and toxicity are significant challenges that remain to address. Such practices are even more demanding when bioactive agents are intended to be loaded on a nanocarrier system, especially for topical treatment purposes. For the aforesaid reasons, the search for more efficient nano-vesicular systems, such as nanoliposomes, with a high biocompatibility index and controlled releases has increased considerably in the past few decades. Owing to the stratum corneum layer barrier of the skin, the in-practice conventional/conformist drug delivery methods are inefficient, and the effect of the administered therapeutic cues is limited. The current advancement at the nanoscale has transformed the drug delivery sector. Nanoliposomes, as robust nanocarriers, are becoming popular for biomedical applications because of safety, patient compliance, and quick action. Herein, we reviewed state-of-the-art nanoliposomes as a smart and sophisticated drug delivery approach. Following a brief introduction, the drug delivery mechanism of nanoliposomes is discussed with suitable examples for the treatment of numerous diseases with a brief emphasis on fungal infections. The latter half of the work is focused on the applied perspective and clinical translation of nanoliposomes. Furthermore, a detailed overview of clinical applications and future perspectives has been included in this review.

Keywords: antifungal; biomedical applications; drug-loaded constructs; fabrication strategies; influencing factors; nanocarriers; nanoliposomes; targeted drug delivery.

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of the bilayer structure of nanoliposomes with the representation of their amphiphilic structure for the entrapment of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. On the right, some of the remarkable characteristics of these systems are listed. The liposomal structure is mainly composed of phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, or phosphatidylethanolamine. Nonetheless, the addition of cholesterol in the liposomal formulation is very common with the purpose of providing stability and rigidity in the lipid membrane.

Figure 2

Advantages of nanoliposomes based formulations respect to non-nanoliposomes based formulations for oral, topical, and intramuscular drug administration.

Figure 3

Schematic representation of multi-functional characteristics of drug loading into nanoliposomes as a competent model for biomedical applications.

Figure 4

Illustration of the drug administration and release pathway of nanoliposomes against cancer cells.

Figure 5

Penetration effect of a nano encapsulated compound through skin layers compared to the non-encapsulated compound. (1) shows the poor penetration effect and the lack of biodistribution across the epidermis and dermis; (2) illustrates the route of nanoliposomes into deeper skin layers.

Figure 6

(A) Adsorption of liposomes to the skin surface; drug transfer from liposomes to skin. (B) Rupture of vesicles, the release of content, and the penetration of the free molecules into the skin via intracellular (1) or intercellular route (2). (C) Penetration of unilamellar vesicles via the lipid-rich channels to the dermis where they slowly release their content due to disruption or degradation of liposomal membranes. (D) Penetration of multilamellar vesicles via the lipid-rich channels. On the route of penetration of multilamellar vesicle can lose one or more outer lipid lamellae which would lead to partial release of the encapsulated material.