ABSTRACT
DepoFoam is an aqueous suspension of multivesicular liposomes (MVL). MVLs were first described by Kim and co-workers (1), where the MVLs are formed by a double emulsion process forming a water-in-oil-in-water emulsion. A typical scanning electron micrograph of an MVL particle is shown in Figure 1. The liposome particles are generally in the 10-30 mm diameter size range. The typical DepoFoam lipids include phospholipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Phospholipids, such as dioleylphosphatidylcholine, comprise the major constituent of the lipid bilayer membrane. Charged phospholipids (e.g., dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol) can be included in the lipid bilayer membrane to help prevent aggregation of the liposomes by charge repulsion. Cholesterol is used to provide mechanical stabilization of the lipid bilayer membrane.
