Thursday, 15 January 2015

Medical Breakthroughs From Liposomal Formulation

By Kristen Baird


Health is among the key areas of prime concern among most people. With the advent of the discipline of medicine, health has been improved a great deal. Extensive research has been conducted in the past, and is still an ongoing process, in a bid to curb and eliminate all sorts of health problems. Among the recent breakthroughs is concerned with liposomal formulation.

There has always existed the problem of ingested drugs being digested before reaching their intended target areas in the body. The process of these formulations was discovered as scientists were looking for a solution to this problem. In this solution, the drug would be closed in and protected by a layer of phospholipids and aqueous solution.

Liposomes bio structure is favorable. They are mainly aqueous at the core. This is close in by a layer of phospholipids. Various strains have different types of phospholipids they could be either natural or synthetically prepared in a laboratory. This provides an ideal state where both extremes of drugs can be safely transported, by either attaching to the liquid core or the lipid outer layers.

Researchers have found the process of formation of these compounds may be critical to their performance. They are formed when strands of phospholipids are put in water, and a given heat amount is directed to them. The composition of the formed liposomes is tested against that of this drug it is intended to carry, so as to determine compatibility and avoid destructive reactions.

Advances such as these have led to further progress in the medical field. The most famous being development of Doxorubicin, a form of anthracycline. This is a drug that was developed to curb the spread of cancer. It does this in two stages, first, by inserting base stains of DNA and RNA molecules which inhibits replication of cells. The second phase is inhibition of an enzyme known as topoisomerase II, which serves the same purpose of inhibition of cellular growth.

Further research and development on cancer and other terminal ailments have had positive results, and the outcomes lauded by the medical community as well as the general public. Research and testing of liposomes as anti- cancer drug carriers has brought about drugs which are n testing. These include doxorubicin, , lipoplatin, paclitaxel, aroplatin and cisplatin.

The study of liposomes has also led to development of vaccines and various other treatments. Various diseases and medical conditions which previously had no cure can now be vaccinated against. Such developments have established Epaxal, a vaccine against Hepatitis A, and Inflexal V, a vaccine against several types of influenza. A vaccine known as Stimuvax against lighter forms of cancer is in the offing.

The formulation is being investigated on how well it will serve in transportation of dietary supplements to various parts of the body. This testing is inspired by the exceptional success in performance of liposomes in targeted drug delivery. If successful, scientists will use liposomes to transport supplements to various parts of the body where they are required by the body. This procedure has been tried and worked. Therefore, its no longer a risk.




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