ABSTRACT
This chapter describes developments in liposomal drug delivery and the biological activities of special kinds of phospholipids. Liposomes are microscopic vesicles composed of one or more phospholipid bilayers separated by an equal number of aqueous interspaces. Liposomes injected intravenously are trapped by the macrophages in the liver and spleen. It has been shown that antiinfective drugs encapsulated in such liposomes are active against infections caused by facultative intracellular bacteria, parasites such as leishmania, and viruses such as the one causing Rift valley fever. Sodium stibogluconate is a typical example of a liposome-delivered drug that is used in leishmaniasis therapy. This drug has a very short half-life owing to its high solubility in water; therefore continuous administration of a free drug solution over 120 days is necessary for good therapeutic efficiency. Liposomal formulations as carriers of anticancer drugs have been investigated for several years.
