Lipids, curvature stress, and the action of lipid prodrugs: Free fatty acids and lysolipid enhancement of drug transport across liposomal membranes

Interaction Dynamics of Liposomal Fatty Acids with Gram-Positive Bacterial Membranes

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has driven the need for alternative therapeutic strategies, with liposomal fatty acids (LipoFAs) emerging as promising candidates due to their potent antibacterial properties. Despite growing interest, the detailed biophysical interactions between LipoFAs and bacterial membranes remain underexplored. In this study, we systematically investigate the mechanistic interactions of liposomal linolenic acid (LipoLNA), linoleic acid (LipoLLA), and oleic acid (LipoOA) with model Gram-positive bacterial membranes using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and fluorescence microscopy. QCM-D analysis revealed that LipoOA displayed the highest rate of membrane fusion, followed by LipoLLA and LipoLNA. Fluorescence microscopy highlighted distinct morphological changes induced by each LipoFA: LipoLNA generated large membrane buds, LipoLLA formed smaller dense protrusions, and LipoOA caused rapid incorporation with uniform dense spots. Furthermore, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) demonstrated that LipoLNA significantly enhanced lipid mobility and membrane fluidity, as confirmed by Laurdan generalized polarization measurements. The extent of unsaturation in LipoFAs was found to play a critical role in their interaction mechanism, with higher degrees of unsaturation inducing greater local curvature stress, increased membrane permeability, and substantial ATP leakage, ultimately leading to improved bactericidal activity. Notably, liposomal formulations exhibited enhanced biocompatibility compared to free fatty acids. These findings provide valuable mechanistic insights into how LipoFAs perturb bacterial membranes, supporting their potential application as alternative antibacterial agents.

Lysosphingolipids in ceramide-deficient skin lipid models

Ceramides are key components of the skin's permeability barrier. In atopic dermatitis, pathological hydrolysis of ceramide precursors - glucosylceramides and sphingomyelin - into lysosphingolipids, specifically glucosylsphingosine (GS) and sphingosine-phosphorylcholine (SPC), and free fatty acids (FFAs) has been proposed to contribute to impaired skin barrier function. This study investigated whether replacing ceramides with lysosphingolipids and FFAs in skin lipid barrier models would exacerbate barrier dysfunction. When applied topically to human stratum corneum sheets, SPC and GS increased water loss, decreased electrical impedance, and slightly disordered lipid chains. In lipid models containing isolated human stratum corneum ceramides, reducing ceramides by ≥ 30% significantly increased permeability to four markers, likely due to loss of long-periodicity phase (LPP) lamellae and phase separation within the lipid matrix, as revealed by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. However, when the missing ceramides were replaced by lysosphingolipids and FFAs, no further increase in permeability was observed. Conversely, these molecules partially mitigated the negative effects of ceramide deficiency, particularly with 5%-10% SPC, which reduced permeability even compared to control with "healthy" lipid composition. These findings suggest that while ceramide deficiency is a key factor in skin barrier dysfunction, the presence of lysosphingolipids and FFAs does not aggravate lipid structural or functional damage, but may provide partial compensation, raising further questions about the behavior of lyso(sphingo)lipids in rigid multilamellar lipid environments, such as the stratum corneum, that warrant further investigation.

Fatty acids-modified liposomes for encapsulation of bioactive peptides: Fabrication, characterization, storage stability and in vitro release

The fragile membranes of liposomes limit their application by the food industry. In this study, we hypothesized that interactions between fatty acids with different chain lengths and phospholipids might enhance liposome stability. Decanoic acid modified liposomes (Lipo-DA) and stearic acid modified liposomes (Lipo-SA) were fabricated for encapsulation of hydrophilic peptides. Fluorescence spectroscopy and FTIR analysis showed molecular interactions existed between alkyl chains and phospholipids, resulting in greater compactness and hydrophobicity of the membranes in Lipo-DA and Lipo-SA. This led to a reduction in melting point characterized by differential scanning calorimetry analysis. Lipo-DA and Lipo-SA could delay the release of hydrophilic peptides compared with unmodified liposomes in simulated digestion. Moreover, Lipo-DA showed better stability during storage, while Lipo-SA exhibited precipitation, resulting in the lowest peptide retention. Our study showed that decanoic acid is suitable to enhance the stability of liposomes, although this approach has yet to be tested in food products.

Digestion of lipid micelles leads to increased membrane permeability

Lipid-based drug carriers are an attractive option to solubilise poorly water soluble therapeutics. Previously, we reported that the digestion of a short tail PC lipid (2C6PC) by the PLA2 enzyme has a significant effect on the structure and stability of the micelles it forms. Here, we studied the interactions of micelles of varying composition representing various degrees of digestion with a model ordered (70 mol% DPPC & 30 mol% cholesterol) and disordered (100% DOPC) lipid membrane. Micelles of all compositions disassociated when interacting with the two different membranes. As the percentage of digestion products (C6FA and C6LYSO) in the micelle increased, the disassociation occurred more rapidly. The C6FA inserts preferentially into both membranes. We find that all micelle components increase the area per lipid, increase the disorder and decrease the thickness of the membranes, and the 2C6PC lipid molecules have the most significant impact. Additionally, there is an increase in permeation of water into the membrane that accompanies the insertion of C6FA into the DOPC membranes. We show that the natural digestion of lipid micelles result in molecular species that can enhance the permeability of lipid membranes that in turn result in an enhanced delivery of drugs.

Effects of Diet on Aristolochic Acid-DNA Adduct Formation: Implications for Balkan Endemic Nephropathy Etiology

Prolonged exposure to aristolochic acids (AAs) through AA-containing herbal medicine or AA-contaminated food is associated with the development of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) and Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), both public health risks to which the World Health Organization is calling for global action to remove exposure sources. The AA exposure-induced DNA damage is believed to be related to both the nephrotoxicity and carcinogenicity of AA observed in patients suffering from BEN. While the chemical toxicology of AA is well-studied, we investigated in this study the understated effect of different nutrients, food additives, or health supplements on DNA adduct formation by aristolochic acid I (AA-I). By culturing human embryonic kidney cells in an AAI-containing medium enriched with different nutrients, results showed that cells cultured in fatty acid-, acetic acid-, and amino acid-enriched media produced ALI-dA adducts at significantly higher frequencies than that cultured in the normal medium. ALI-dA adduct formation was most sensitive to amino acids, indicating that amino acid- or protein-rich diets might lead to a higher risk of mutation and even cancer. On the other hand, cells cultured in media supplemented with sodium bicarbonate, GSH, and NAC reduced ALI-dA adduct formation rates, which sheds light on their potential use as risk-mitigating strategies for people at risk of AA exposure. It is anticipated that the results of this study will help to better understand the effect of dietary habits on cancer and BEN development.

Robust and tunable performance of a cell-free biosensor encapsulated in lipid vesicles

Cell-free systems have enabled the development of genetically encoded biosensors to detect a range of environmental and biological targets. Encapsulation of these systems in synthetic membranes to form artificial cells can reintroduce features of the cellular membrane, including molecular containment and selective permeability, to modulate cell-free sensing capabilities. Here, we demonstrate robust and tunable performance of a transcriptionally regulated, cell-free riboswitch encapsulated in lipid membranes, allowing the detection of fluoride, an environmentally important molecule. Sensor response can be tuned by varying membrane composition, and encapsulation protects from sensor degradation, facilitating detection in real-world samples. These sensors can detect fluoride using two types of genetically encoded outputs, enabling detection of fluoride at the Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 0.2 millimolars. This work demonstrates the capacity of bilayer membranes to confer tunable permeability to encapsulated, genetically encoded sensors and establishes the feasibility of artificial cell platforms to detect environmentally relevant small molecules.

A study on attempt for determination of permeation kinetics of coumarin at lipid bilayer of liposomes by using capillary electrophoresis with moment analysis theory

It was tried to develop a moment analysis method for the determination of lipid membrane permeability. The first absolute and second central moments of elution peaks measured by liposome electrokinetic chromatography (LEKC) are analyzed by using moment equations. As a concrete example, elution peak profiles of coumarin in a LEKC system, in which liposomes consisting of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn‑glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and phosphatidylserine (PS) are used as a pseudo-stationary phase, were analyzed. It seems that lipid membrane permeability of coumarin across the lipid bilayer of POPC/PS liposomes was measured by the moment analysis method because previous permeability measurements using parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) and Caco-2 cells indicated that coumarin is permeable across lipid bilayer. However, it was also pointed out that the moment analysis method with LEKC is not effective for the determination of lipid membrane permeability and that it provides information about adsorption/desorption kinetics at lipid bilayer of liposomes. Therefore, different moment equations were also developed for the determination of adsorption/desorption rate constants of coumarin from the LEKC data. It was demonstrated that permeation rate constants at lipid bilayer or adsorption/desorption rate constants can be determined from the LEKC data on the basis of moment analysis theory for the mass transfer phenomena of coumarin at the lipid bilayer of POPC/PS liposomes. Mass transfer kinetics of solutes at lipid bilayer should be determined under the conditions that liposomes originally be because they are self-assembling and dynamic systems formed through weak interactions between phospholipid monomers. The moment analysis method using LEKC is effective for the experimental determination of the mass transfer rate constants at the lipid bilayer of liposomes because neither immobilization nor chemical modification of liposomes is necessary when LEKC data are measured. It is expected that the results of this study contribute to the dissemination of an opportunity for the determination of permeation rate constants or adsorption/desorption rate constants at the lipid bilayer of liposomes to many researchers because capillary electrophoresis is widespread.

Fatty Acids-Enriched Fractions of Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) Larvae Fat Can Combat MDR Pathogenic Fish Bacteria Aeromonas spp

Aeromonas spp. cause many diseases in aquaculture habitats. Hermetia illucens (Hi) larvae were used as feed-in aquacultures and in eradicating pathogenic fish bacteria. In the present study, we applied consecutive extractions of the same biomass of BSFL fat using the acidic water–methanol solution. The major constituents of the sequential extracts (SEs) were free fatty acids (FFAs), and fatty acids derivatives as identified by gas chromatography spectrometry (GC-MS). Our improved procedure enabled gradual enrichment in the unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs) content in our SEs. The present study aimed to compare the composition and antimicrobial properties of SEs. Among actual fish pathogens, A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida demonstrated multiple drug resistance (MDR) against different recommended standard antibiotics: A. salmonicida was resistant to six, while A. hydrophila was resistant to four antibiotics from ten used in the present study. For the first time, we demonstrated the high dose-dependent antibacterial activity of each SE against Aeromonas spp., especially MDR A. salmonicida. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal (MIC/MBC) activity of SEs was significantly enhanced through the sequential extractions. The third sequential extract (AWME3) possessed the highest activity against Aeromonas spp.: inhibition zone diameters were in the range (21.47 ± 0.14–20.83 ± 0.22 mm) at a concentration of 40 mg/mL, MIC values ranged between 0.09 and 0.38 mg/mL for A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida, respectively. AWME3 MBC values recorded 0.19 and 0.38 mg/mL, while MIC₅₀ values were 0.065 ± 0.004 and 0.22 ± 0.005 mg/mL against A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida, respectively. Thus, the larvae fat from Hermitia illucens may serve as an excellent reservoir of bioactive molecules with good capacity to eradicate the multidrug-resistant bacteria, having promising potential for practical application in the aquaculture field.

Recent Experimental Developments in Studying Passive Membrane Transport of Drug Molecules

The ability to measure the passive membrane permeation of drug-like molecules is of fundamental biological and pharmaceutical importance. Of significance, passive diffusion across the cellular membranes plays an effective role in the delivery of many pharmaceutical agents to intracellular targets. Hence, approaches for quantitative measurement of membrane permeability have been the topics of research for decades, resulting in sophisticated biomimetic systems coupled with advanced techniques. In this review, recent developments in experimental approaches along with theoretical models for quantitative and real-time analysis of membrane transport of drug-like molecules through mimetic and living cell membranes are discussed. The focus is on time-resolved fluorescence-based, surface plasmon resonance, and second-harmonic light scattering approaches. The current understanding of how properties of the membrane and permeant affect the permeation process is discussed.

A Phospholipase-A Activity in Soluble Leishmania Antigens Causes Instability of Liposomes

Aim:

This study aimed to investigate the existence of phospholipase-A (PLA) activity in Soluble L. major Antigens (SLA) because of no reports for it so far. Liposomes were used as sensors to evaluate PLA activity.

Objective:

Liposomal SLA consisting of Egg Phosphatidylcholine (EPC) or Sphingomyelin (SM) were prepared by two different methods in different pH or temperatures and characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC).

Methods:

Lipid hydrolysis led to the disruption of EPC liposomal SLA in both methods but the Film Method (FM) produced more stable liposomes than the Detergent Removal Method (DRM).

Results:

The preparation of EPC liposomal SLA at pH 6 via FM protected liposomes from hydrolysis to some extent for a short time. EPC liposomes but not SM liposomes were disrupted in the presence of SLA.

Conclusion:

Therefore, a phospholipid without ester bond such as SM should be utilized in liposome formulations containing PLA as an encapsulating protein.

Prodrugs and nanomicelles to overcome ocular barriers for drug penetration

INTRODUCTION

Ocular barriers hinder drug delivery and reduce drug bioavailability. This article focuses on enhancing drug absorption across the corneal and conjunctival epithelium. Both, transporter targeted prodrug formulations and nanomicellar strategy is proven to enhance the drug permeation of therapeutic agents across various ocular barriers. These strategies can increase aqueous drug solubility and stability of many hydrophobic drugs for topical ophthalmic formulations.

AREAS COVERED

The article discusses various ocular barriers, ocular influx, and efflux transporters. It elaborates various prodrug strategies used for enhancing drug absorption. Along with this, the article also describes nanomicellar formulation, its characteristic and advantages, and applications in for anterior and posterior segment drug delivery.

EXPERT OPINION

Prodrugs and nanomicellar formulations provide an effective strategy for improving drug absorption and drug bioavailability across various ocular barriers. It will be exciting to see the efficacy of nanomicelles for treating back of the eye disorders after their topical application. This is considered as a holy grail of ocular drug delivery due to the dynamic and static ocular barriers, restricting posterior entry of topically applied drug formulations.

Liposome-Embedding Silicon Microparticle for Oxaliplatin Delivery in Tumor Chemotherapy

Mesoporous silicon microparticles (MSMPs) can incorporate drug-carrying nanoparticles (NPs) into their pores. An NP-loaded MSMP is a multistage vector (MSV) that forms a Matryoshka-like structure that protects the therapeutic cargo from degradation and prevents its dilution in the circulation during delivery to tumor cells. We developed an MSV constituted by 1 µm discoidal MSMPs embedded with PEGylated liposomes containing oxaliplatin (oxa) which is a therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer (CRC). To obtain extra-small liposomes able to fit the 60 nm pores of MSMP, we tested several liposomal formulations, and identified two optimal compositions, with a prevalence of the rigid lipid 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000]. To improve the MSV assembly, we optimized the liposome-loading inside the MSMP and achieved a five-fold increase of the payload using an innovative lyophilization approach. This procedure also increased the load and limited dimensional changes of the liposomes released from the MSV in vitro. Lastly, we found that the cytotoxic efficacy of oxa-loaded liposomes and-oxa-liposome-MSV in CRC cell culture was similar to that of free oxa. This study increases knowledge about extra-small liposomes and their loading into porous materials and provides useful hints about alternative strategies for designing drug-encapsulating NPs.

Lysis of membrane lipids promoted by small organic molecules: Reactivity depends on structure but not lipophilicity

Several organic molecules of low molecular weight (<150 Da) are demonstrated to have substantial membrane-lytic potential despite having a low predicted lipophilicity (logD < 1 at neutral pH). In aqueous liposome dispersions, 38 aromatic compounds were tested for their ability to either promote lipid hydrolysis or directly participate in chemical reactions with lipid molecules. Behaviors observed included acyl transfer from the lipid to form a lipidated compound, both with and without concomitant lysolipid formation; increases in the rate of lipid hydrolysis without lipidation; and no reactivity. The variation in activity, including a notably higher activity for heterocycles such as amino-substituted benzimidazoles and indazoles, demonstrates the potential to predict or "design-in" lytic activity once the rules that govern reactivity are better understood. The nature of this chemical instability has significant ramifications for the use or presence of lipids in diverse fields such as materials chemistry, food chemistry, and cell physiology.

Liposomes with pH responsive 'on and off' switches for targeted and intracellular delivery of antibiotics

pH responsive drug delivery systems are one of the new strategies to address the spread of bacterial resistance to currently used antibiotics. The aim of this study was to formulate liposomes with 'On' and 'Off'' pH responsive switches for infection site targeting. The vancomycin (VCM) loaded liposomes had sizes below 100 nm, at pH 7.4. The QL-liposomes had a negative zeta potential at pH 7.4 that switched to a positive charge at acidic pH. VCM release from the liposome was quicker at pH 6 than pH 7.4. The OA-QL-liposome showed 4-fold lower MIC at pH 7.4 and 8- and 16-fold lower at pH 6.0 against both MSSA and MRSA compared to the bare drug. OA-QL liposome had a 1266.67- and 704.33-fold reduction in the intracellular infection for TPH-1 macrophage and HEK293 cells respectively. In vivo studies showed that the amount of MRSA recovered from mice treated with formulations was 189.67 and 6.33-fold lower than the untreated and bare VCM treated mice respectively. MD simulation of the QL lipid with the phosphatidylcholine membrane (POPC) showed spontaneous binding of the lipid to the bilayer membrane both electrostatic and Van der Waals interactions contributed to the binding. These studies demonstrated that the 'On' and 'Off' pH responsive liposomes enhanced the activity targeted and intracellular delivery VCM.

Molecular interactions of phospholipid monolayers with a model phospholipase

The intrinsic overexpression of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) in various pro-inflammatory diseases and cancers has the potential to be exploited as a therapeutic strategy for diagnostics and treatment. To explore this potential and advance our knowledge of the role of sPLA2 in related diseases, it is necessary to systematically investigate the molecular interaction of the enzyme with lipids. By employing a Langmuir trough integrated with X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction techniques, this study examined the molecular packing structure of 1,2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) films before and after enzyme adsorption and enzyme-catalyzed degradation. Molecular interaction of sPLA2 (from bee venom) with the DPPC monolayer exhibited Ca2+ dependence. DPPC molecules at the interface without Ca2+ retained a monolayer organization; upon adsorption of sPLA2 to the monolayer the packing became tighter. In contrast, sPLA2-catalyzed degradation of DPPC occurred in the presence of Ca2+, leading to disruption of the ordered monolayer structure of DPPC. The interfacial film became a mixture of highly ordered multilayer domains of palmitic acid (PA) and loosely packed monolayer phase of 1-palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (lysoPC) that potentially contained the remaining un-degraded DPPC. The redistribution of lipid degradation products into the third dimension, which produced multilayer PA domains, damaged the structural integrity of the original lipid layer and may explain the bursting of liposomes observed in other studies after a latency period of mixing liposomes with sPLA2. A quantitative understanding of the lipid packing and lipid-enzyme interaction provides an intuitive means of designing and optimizing lipid-related drug delivery systems.

Phospholipid components of the synthetic pulmonary surfactant CHF5633 probed by fluorescence spectroscopy

CHF5633 (Chiesi Farmaceutici, Italy) is a synthetic pulmonary surfactant currently under clinical development for the treatment of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in premature infants. The product is composed of phospholipids in liposomal organization, together with two peptide analogues of human surfactant proteins B and C. Phospholipids in liposomes can undergo oxidation of unsaturated lipids and hydrolysis, with formation of fatty acids and lysolipids, both affecting the physico-chemical properties of the formulation. We exploited two fluorescence probes, Prodan and ADIFAB, to evaluate the stability of the phospholipid components of CHF5633. While Prodan enters the phospholipid bilayer and probes the polarity of this environment, ADIFAB binds free fatty acids in the aqueous phase, allowing to determine their concentration. Changes of Prodan fluorescence emission indicated an increase in the polarity of the phospholipid bilayer as a function of time. This behavior is coupled with an increase in fatty acids concentration in the aqueous phase, as determined by ADIFAB, and an increase in lysolipids concentration, as determined by HPLC-MS. Prodan and ADIFAB resulted efficient probes to monitor phospholipids hydrolysis in liposomes, reporting an increased stability of CHF5633 at pH values higher than 6.5.

Preferential binding of Inorganic Mercury to specific lipid classes and its competition with Cadmium

Upon uptake of Hg and Cd into living systems, possible targets for metal induced toxicity include the membranes surrounding nervous, cardiovascular and renal cells. To further our understanding of the interactions of Hg and Cd with different lipid structures under physiologically relevant chloride and pH conditions (100 mM NaCl pH 7.4), we used fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering to monitor changes in membrane fluidity and phase transition and liposome size. The metal effects were studied on zwitterionic, cationic and anionic lipids to elucidate electrostatically driven metal-lipid interactions. The effect of Hg-catalyzed cleavage of the vinyl ether bond in plasmalogens on these aforementioned properties was studied in addition to a thermodynamic characterization of this interaction by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry. The negatively charged Hg-chloride complexes formed under our experimental conditions induce membrane rigidity in membranes containing cationic lipids and plasmalogens while this effect is heavily reduced and entirely absent with zwitterionic and anionic lipids respectively. The K_D for the interaction of Hg with plasmalogen containing liposomes was between 4-30 μM. Furthermore, the presence of Cd affected the interaction of Hg with plasmalogen when negatively charged PS was also present. In this case, even the order of the metal addition was important.

Effect of fatty acids on the permeability barrier of model and biological membranes

Because of the amphipathicity and conical molecular shape of fatty acids, they can efficiently incorporate into lipid membranes and disturb membrane integrity, chain packing, and lateral pressure profile. These phenomena affect both model membranes as well as biological membranes. We investigated the feasibility of exploiting fatty acids as permeability enhancers in drug delivery systems for enhancing drug release from liposomal carriers and drug uptake by target cells. Saturated fatty acids, with acyl chain length from C8 to C20, were tested using model drug delivery liposomes of 1,2- dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and the breast cancer MCF-7 cell line as a model cell. A calcein release assay demonstrated reduction in the membrane permeability barrier of the DPPC liposomes, proportionally to the length of the fatty acid. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments revealed that C12 to C20 fatty acids can stabilize DPPC liposomal bilayers and induce the formation of large structures, probably due to liposome aggregation and bilayer morphological changes. On the other hand, the short fatty acids C8 and C10 tend to destabilize the bilayers and only moderately cause the formation of large structures. The effect of fatty acids on DPPC liposomes was not completely transferrable to the MCF-7 cell line. Using cytotoxicity assays, the cells were found to be relatively insensitive to the fatty acids at apoptotic sub-millimolar concentrations. Increasing the fatty acid concentration to few millimolar substantially reduced the viability of the cells, most likely via the induction of necrosis and cell lysis. A bioluminescence living-cell-based luciferase assay showed that saturated fatty acids in sub-cytotoxic concentrations cannot reduce the permeability barrier of cell membranes. Our results confirm that the membrane perturbing effect of fatty acids on model membranes cannot simply be carried over to biological membranes of live cells.

Advances in the use of prodrugs for drug delivery to the eye

INTRODUCTION

Ocular drug delivery is presented with many challenges, taking into account the distinctive structure of the eye. The prodrug approach has been, and is being, employed to overcome such barriers for some drug molecules, utilizing a chemical modification approach rather than a formulation-based approach. A prodrug strategy involves modification of the active moiety into various derivatives in a fashion that imparts some advantage, such as membrane permeability, site specificity, transporter targeting and improved aqueous solubility, over the parent compound. Areas covered: The following review is a comprehensive summary of various novel methodologies and strategies reported over the past few years in the area of ocular drug delivery. Some of the strategies discussed involve polymer and lipid conjugation with the drug moiety to impart hydrophilicity or lipophilicity, or to target nutrient transporters by conjugation with transporter-specific moieties and retrometabolic drug design. Expert opinion: The application of prodrug strategies provides an option for enhancing drug penetration into the ocular tissues, and overall ocular bioavailability, with minimum disruption of the ocular diffusion barriers. Although success of the prodrug strategy is contingent on various factors, such as the chemical structure of the parent molecule, aqueous solubility and solution stability, capacity of targeted transporters and bioreversion characteristics, this approach has been successfully utilized, commercially and therapeutically, in several cases.

Milk makes lysosomes lethal

Stat3 has been shown to regulate lysosome membrane permeabilization and cell death in vivo during post-lactation mammary gland involution. It is now revealed that Stat3 induces lysosome membrane permeabilization by causing phagocytosis of milk fat globules, which destabilize the lysosome membrane leading to leakage of cathepsin proteases.

Stat3 controls cell death during mammary gland involution by regulating uptake of milk fat globules and lysosomal membrane permeabilization

We have previously demonstrated that Stat3 regulates lysosomal-mediated programmed cell death (LM-PCD) during mouse mammary gland involution in vivo. However, the mechanism that controls the release of lysosomal cathepsins to initiate cell death in this context has not been elucidated. We show here that Stat3 regulates the formation of large lysosomal vacuoles that contain triglyceride. Furthermore, we demonstrate that milk fat globules (MFGs) are toxic to epithelial cells and that, when applied to purified lysosomes, the MFG hydrolysate oleic acid potently induces lysosomal leakiness. Additionally, uptake of secreted MFGs coated in butyrophilin 1A1 is diminished in Stat3-ablated mammary glands and loss of the phagocytosis bridging molecule MFG-E8 results in reduced leakage of cathepsins in vivo. We propose that Stat3 regulates LM-PCD in mouse mammary gland by switching cellular function from secretion to uptake of MFGs. Thereafter, perturbation of lysosomal vesicle membranes by high levels of free fatty acids results in controlled leakage of cathepsins culminating in cell death.

Functionalization of fatty acid vesicles through newly synthesized bolaamphiphile-DNA conjugates

The surface functionalization of fatty acid vesicles will allow their use as nanoreactors for complex chemistry. In this report, the tethering of several DNA conjugates to decanoic acid vesicles for molecular recognition and synthetic purposes was explored. Due to the highly dynamic nature of these structures, only one novel bola-amphiphile DNA conjugate could interact efficiently with or spontaneously pierce into the vesicle bilayers without jeopardizing their self-assembly or stability. This molecule was synthesized via a Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click reaction), and consists of a single hydrocarbon chain of 20 carbons having on one end a triazole group linked to the 5'-phosphate of the nucleic acid and on the other side a hydroxyl-group. Its insertion was so effective that a fluorescent label on the DNA complementary to the conjugate could be used to visualize fatty acid structures.

Structure-transfection activity relationships in a series of novel cationic lipids with heterocyclic head-groups

Cationic liposomes are promising candidates for the delivery of various therapeutic nucleic acids. Here, we report a convenient synthesis of carbamate-type cationic lipids with various hydrophobic domains (tetradecanol, dialkylglycerol, cholesterol) and positively charged head-groups (pyridinium, N-methylimidazolium, N-methylmorpholinium) and data on the structure-transfection activity relationships. It was found that single-chain lipids possess high surface activity, which correlates with high cytotoxicity due to their ability to disrupt the cellular membrane by combined hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Liposomes containing these lipids also display high cytotoxicity with respect to all cell lines. Irrespective of chemical structures, all cationic lipids form liposomes with similar sizes and surface potentials. The characteristics of complexes composed of cationic liposomes and nucleic acids depend mostly on the type of nucleic acid and P/N ratios. In the case of oligodeoxyribonucleotide delivery, the transfection activity depends on the type of cationic head-group regardless of the type of hydrophobic domain: all types of cationic liposomes mediate efficient oligonucleotide transfer into 80-90% of the eukaryotic cells, and liposomes based on lipids with N-methylmorpholinium cationic head-group display the highest transfection activity. In the case of plasmid DNA and siRNA, the type of hydrophobic domain determines the transfection activity: liposomes composed of cholesterol-based lipids were the most efficient in DNA transfer, while liposomes containing glycerol-based lipids exhibited reasonable activity in siRNA delivery under serum-free conditions.

A liposomal fluorescence assay to study permeation kinetics of drug-like weak bases across the lipid bilayer

Lipid bilayer permeation is considered the major route for in vivo barrier passage of drugs. Despite this fact, no technique is currently available to measure the kinetics of permeation across a single lipid bilayer of structurally unrelated drug-like solutes. We developed a liposomal fluorescence assay capable to determine permeation kinetics of basic drug-like solutes across lipid bilayers. The assay is based on the hypothesis that permeation of a weak base along a concentration gradient results in net proton release at the cis-side and net proton capture at the trans-side of the bilayer. The resulting pH changes were monitored with pH-sensitive fluorophores: Test compounds were incubated with liposomes containing a pH-sensitive fluorophore at the bilayer surfaces or in the aqueous lumen and fluorescence changes were monitored with a stopped-flow apparatus in solution or by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy with surface-captured liposomes on a microfluidic platform. Incubation with lipophilic basic drugs resulted in the expected fluorescence changes while incubation with compounds without basic functionality or high polarity did not affect fluorescence. Kinetics of fluorescence changes followed bi-exponential functions. Logarithmic permeation coefficients (logPermapp) determined in solution and by microfluidics technology showed a good correlation (r(2)=0.94, n=7) and logPermapp increased with increasing lipophilicity. Neither diffusion in the aqueous phase nor partitioning into the bilayer was rate-limiting. PEGylation of 2% of the liposomal lipids reduced Permapp by a factor ~300. In conclusion, the presented liposomal fluorescence assay is capable to determine permeation kinetics of weak basic drug-like solutes across lipid bilayers. The method is adaptable to microfluidics technology for high-throughput measurements and can potentially be modified to work for weak acid solutes.

Characterization of fluorinated catansomes: a promising vector in drug-delivery

Catansomes, which are vesicles prepared from mixtures of oppositely charged surfactants, have been suggested as effective alternatives to phospholipid vesicles, i.e., liposomes, in applications such as drug-delivery. This is mainly due to their enhanced chemical and physical stability as well as to their relatively easy preparation, which is an advantage for large-scale productions. In this study we have investigated catansomes prepared from a perfluorinated anionic surfactant (sodium perfluorooctanoate) premixed with a hydrogenated cationic surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide or 1-dodecylpyridinium chloride). The aim was to gain insights into the physicochemical properties of these systems, such as size, stability, surface charge, and membrane morphology, which are essential for their use in drug-delivery applications. The catansomes were mostly unilamellar and 100-200 nm in size, and were stable for more than five months at room temperature. After loading the catansomes with the fluorescent marker calcein, they were found to exhibit an appreciable encapsulation efficiency and a low calcein leakage over time. The addition of fatty acids to calcein-loaded catansomes considerably promoted the release of calcein, and the rate and efficiency of calcein release were found to be proportional to the fatty acid concentration and chain length. Our results prove the feasibility of utilizing catansomes as drug-delivery vehicles as well as provide a means to efficiently release the encapsulated load.

Lipids, curvature, and nano-medicine

The physical properties of the lamellar lipid-bilayer component of biological membranes are controlled by a host of thermodynamic forces leading to overall tensionless bilayers with a conspicuous lateral pressure profile and build-in curvature-stress instabilities that may be released locally or globally in terms of morphological changes. In particular, the average molecular shape and the propensity of the different lipid and protein species for forming non-lamellar and curved structures are a source of structural transitions and control of biological function. The effects of different lipids, sterols, and proteins on membrane structure are discussed and it is shown how one can take advantage of the curvature-stress modulations brought about by specific molecular agents, such as fatty acids, lysolipids, and other amphiphilic solutes, to construct intelligent drug-delivery systems that function by enzymatic triggering via curvature.Practical applications: The simple concept of lipid molecular shape and how it impacts on the structure of lipid aggregates, in particular the curvature and curvature stress in lipid bilayers and liposomes, can be exploited to construct liposome-based drug-delivery systems, e.g., for use as nano-medicine in cancer therapy. Non-lamellar-forming lysolipids and fatty acids, some of which may be designed to be prodrugs, can be created by phospholipase action in diseased tissues thereby providing for targeted drug release and proliferation of molecular entities with conical shape that break down the permeability barrier of the target cells and may hence enhance efficacy.