LIPOSOMES: AN EXCELLENT TOOL FOR DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

A liposome is a tiny bubble (vesicle), made out of the same material as a cell membrane. Liposomes are vesicles composed of a bilayer of lipid molecules enclosing an aqueous volume. They were initially used as model systems to study membrane properties such as permeability. Liposomes Microscopic phospholipid bubbles with a bilayered membrane structure - have received a lot of attention during the past 30 years as pharmaceutical carriers of great potential.More recently, many new developments have been seen in the area of liposomal drugs - from clinically approved products to new experimental applications, with gene delivery and cancer therapy still being the principal areas of interest. Liposomes are microscopic vesicles composed of a bilayer of phospholipids or any similar amphipathic lipids. They can encapsulate and effectively deliver both hydrophilic and lipophilic substances and may be used as a non‐toxic vehicle for insoluble drugs. Recent applications have concentrated on their use as drug delivery vehicles due to the ability of incorporating water-soluble materials in their aqueous volume or oil soluble materials in the lipid bilayer. In case of conventional dosage form when it reaches in circulatory system achieves therapeutic level for short time due to metabolism and excretion. Liposomes can be filled with drugs, and used to deliver drugs for cancer and other diseases.