ABSTRACT

Liposomes have gained considerable interest in their possible use as vehicles for the targeting of drugs and macromolecules to specific tissues. The successful application of liposome-encapsulated drugs and enzymes in the control of cell behavior is dependent upon the target specificity of liposomes. Kinetic studies revealed that this particular interaction was dependent on several factors such as the density of glycoside residues on the surface of lipsomes, the chain length of oligosaccharides incorporated into the liposomes, and also phase-transition temperature of the phospholipid used for making liposomes. Anoincric form as well as the density of the glycoside residues on the surface of liposomes were found to be the determining factors for the uptake of glycosylated liposomes by the liver. The method of incorporation of different glycosides into liposomes by using natural glycolipids is severely limited by the fact that naturally occurring glycolipids are difficult to obtain in a highly purified form and contain only a limited range of saccharide determinants.