ARTICLE

Joanna Szymaska, Elżbieta Mikiciuk-Olasik, Paweł Szymański

Liposomy w kosmetyce i farmacji
2008-01-25

Liposomes in cosmetics and pharmacy. Liposomes have been widely investigated since 1970 as drug carriers for improving the delivery of therapeutic agents. They are essential biomolecules for the structure and function of living matter. This type of lipid is the predominant building block of biological membranes. By incorporating drugs into liposomes, the toxicity of the drug may also be reduced, the therapeutic efficacy or potency of the drug may stay the same or get better, and in some cases, more of the drug can be administered, resulting in an enhanced therapeutic outcome. Liposomes are spherical self-closed structures, composed of curved lipid bilayers, which enclose part of the surrounding solvent into their interior. The size of a liposome ranges from some 20 nm up to several micrometers. Liposomes can be modified to release the drug slowly, resulting in prolonged exposure and thereby increasing the therapeutic efficacy of the compound. Thus making this technology potentially useful for the treatment of certain diseases in the clinics. Therefore, it is essential that fundamental research be carried out to address these issues if successful efficient application of these technologies is going to be achieved. The future of liposomes will depend on rational design of this technology and tools based around a detailed and thorough understanding of biological processes.