Abstract
Liposomes are well known to be drug carriers of the phospholipid bilayer with potential application in drug and
gene deliveries. However, the cellular uptake of liposomes generally follows an endocytic pathway so that most liposomes remain entrapped endosomes and are unable to reach the cytoplasmic space. To overcome this problem, pHsensitive liposomes, which are designed to undergo rapid destabilization in the acidic environments of endosomes,
have been synthesized.
We report the novel design of an antioxidante or anticancer drug delivery system based on a pH-sensitive liposome
retaining the metalloporphyrin as an SOD mimic. The liposomes contained cationic/anionic lipid combinations and
were composed of Fe-porphyrin, L-a-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dimethylditetradecylammonium bromide
(DTDAB), sodium oleate (OANa), and Tween-80. The size of the liposome was approximately 30nm, indicating that
the resulting liposome was a nanoparticle.
