Liposomes and diagnostic imaging: the potential to visualize both structure and function

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Liposomes have been studied over the past several decades because of their usefulness as a model membranes. The knowledge gained in these studies has been applied in the design of liposomes for use as therapeutic drug carriers. Currently, several liposome-based therapeutics are in the final stages of clinical trials. The field of liposome-based diagnostics is less advanced. For liposome-based materials to reach the clinic, it wIII be necessary for them to show significant advantages over currently employed diagnostic agents. It is the thesis of this review that the major advantage of liposomes is their ability to deliver agents in a manner that makes it possible to image and/or quantitate physiological processes. This ability, along with the demonstrated ability of liposomes to target or constrain contrast agents to specific tissues or structures, constitute the chief advantages of liposome-based diagnostics. Several examples of how these characteristics are being exploited in animal studies are given. It is postulated that continued refinement of liposome carriers and further increases in the ability to control the interactions of liposomes with the in vivo environment wIII allow liposome-based diagnostics to assume a place in the clinic with liposome-based therapeutic agents.