Chapters authored
Thermosensitive Liposomes
Thermosensitive liposomes (TSLs) are a drug delivery system for targeted delivery that release the encapsulated drug when heated to fever temperatures (∼40–42°C). Combined with localized hyperthermia, TSLs allow precise drug delivery to a targeted region. While mostly investigated as cancer therapy, other applications including treatment of local infections and wound healing have been explored. Over the last ∼40 years, numerous TSL formulations and payloads have been investigated. As with other nanoparticles, the addition of targeting molecules to TSL has been examined to improve targeted delivery. TSL release kinetics and plasma stability are two important factors that affect efficacy, and new formulations often aim to further improve on these properties. The possibility of encapsulating a magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent that is released together with the encapsulated drug allows for visualization of drug delivery with MR imaging. Various heating modalities have been examined in combination with TSL. Since the goal is to expose a defined tissue region to uniform temperatures within the range where TSLs release (typically ∼40–43°C), the choice of an appropriate heating modality has considerable impact on treatment efficacy. Several ongoing clinical trials with TSL as cancer therapy suggest the potential for clinical impact in the near future.
Part of the book: Liposomes