Seeing is believing: Imaging amphiphiliccyclodextrin derived liposomes by atomic force microscopy

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Abstract
The cyclodextrins are a class of cyclic oligosaccharides widely studied for their ability to include and transport a variety of organic molecules.1 For their use in bio-pharmaceutical applications their relatively low load capacity, typically 2 and hence break down the cell membrane. We have, for a number of years, been concerned with the obtention of amphiphilic cyclodextrins with the dual aim of rendering these molecules more compatible with biological membranes and constructing liposomal delivery systems based on these novel amphiphiles.3 Having achieved the synthesis of these systems,4 the subsequent production of liposomes‡ proved simple,5 and dynamic light scattering studies showed the presence of highly monodisperse assemblies with an apparent diameter of 150 nm.