What Is Liposomal Delivery?

You may have heard about the latest “trend” in the health and wellness world – liposomal delivery. But what does it mean, and why is it so important? What is liposomal technology used for, and why should you keep an eye on this marvel delivery system? Let’s take a look!

While many people use liposomal and liposomes synonymously, they’re two separate things entirely.

We’ll get into both on a much deeper level further in the article, but for now, here’s a basic differentiation of the two terms:

Liposomes

These are the microscopic particles that contain and protect active ingredients prior to targeted delivery.

Liposomal

This technology is the delivery system that makes liposomes able to be used for so many applications.

Before we get into what liposomal delivery is, we’ll need to take a closer look at liposomes. We’ll discuss what they are, how they work, and why they’re an essential part of this marvel of a drug delivery system.

Liposomes are artificially made vesicles (small cellular containers) that have been uniquely designed to safely deliver a variety of bioactive compounds from point A to point B.

Liposomes are capable of transporting both hydrophilic (water-soluble) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) substances, making them applicable in a variety of fields, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals.

To understand how liposomes work, we’ll need to take a closer look at the structural design of these microscopic cellular marvels.

Liposomes are composed of two molecules

that form a sturdy cellular container. When phospholipids (fatty-acid-like lipids) are combined with water, they become spherical in shape with a self-sealing aqueous (water-like) core.3

A variety of vitamins, minerals, and/or plant extracts can then be placed into the core of liposomes for maximum bioavailability.

The two layers of phospholipids allow liposomes to target specific cells while maintaining structural integrity during their journey through the body. Nutrients arrive where they need to go without prematurely breaking down.

Liposomes are a simple, yet superior drug delivery system (DDS). They’re the ideal transport method for otherwise volatile nutrients like antioxidants and antimicrobials.

Are There Different Types of Liposomes?

Yes – Liposomes are classified according to the structure of lipid bi-layers and the size of the cellular container. While we won’t get too deep into the different types of liposomes, it can be important to understand the unique qualities of each.

There are 4-types of liposomes:

Size plays a big role in liposome efficacy and the molecule’s overall half-life (the time it takes for the amount of a drug’s active substance in your body to reduce by half).

LUV (Large Unilamellar Vesicles) –
These are the most commonly used liposomes for drug delivery.

SUV (Small Unilamellar Vesicles) –
Candidate carrier for oral application.

MLV (Multilamellar Vesicles) –
Candidate carrier for oral delivery.

MVV (Multivesicular Vesicles) –
These liposomes are not viable for oral drug applications.

Size plays a big role in liposome efficacy and the molecule’s overall half-life (the time it takes for the amount of a drug’s active substance in your body to reduce by half).

Liposomes for Oral Drug Delivery (ODD)

Liposomes have been on the radar for medical applications since their discovery in 1961 by Alec D. Bangham. However, until recently, there have been some set-backs with the use of liposomes in oral drug delivery.

On their own, liposomes can be problematic for oral application. Researchers noticed that liposomes tended to have instability in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract as well as the inability to easily cross certain cell membranes.5

Additionally, the process of creating liposomes can be tedious at best and expensive at worst. Mass production of liposomes just wasn’t in the picture. Yet.

Research showed the potential capabilities of liposomes in drug delivery but until recently, there were too many set-backs for oral methods. That’s where liposomal delivery comes in.

Liposomal is a 100% DNA-free process that allows for maximum benefits with very few known drawbacks.⁴

Liposome encapsulation efficiency increases with liposome size and decreases with the number of bi-layers. The ideal liposome for drug delivery has 2 bi-layers and is sized anywhere from 50 nm to 150 nm. These are usually the LUV liposomes we mentioned above.
osomal technology allows;

Liposomal is a critical discovery for optimal drug delivery. Liposomal technology allows the active ingredient it’s carrying to get from Point A to Point B without breaking down in the mouth or stomach. Absorption is primarily done in the small intestines where nutrients are most beneficial.

Liposomal technology can uniquely be used for both hydrophilic (water-absorbant) and hydrophobic (water-resistant) delivery methods. This means manufacturers can use more complex mixtures of pure compounds for enhanced efficacy.⁸

The liposomal delivery system has a wide range of varying uses – many of which are still yet to be discovered. In fact, the nutritional industry use of liposomal technology is expected to grow rapidly in the next 5 to 10-years.

Doxil®

A chemotherapy medication used to treat cancer.

LipoDox®

Used to treat breast cancer, bladder cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma, lymphoma, and acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Myocet®

A medication used for treating women with breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

ThermoDox®

Primarily treats liver cancer and recurrent breast cancer.

As more and more research is done on liposomal and the benefits, we’re seeing a variety of products hitting the shelves.

One of the largest-growing markets for liposomal is within the supplement niche. Dietary supplements often contain nutrients like essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other plant extracts that can be volatile to stomach acid. With the ability to by-pass stomach acid, dietary supplements can be absorbed directly in the small intestines – where the benefits are highest.

This allows a manufacturer to use higher-quality raw products at smaller doses while maintaining maximum efficacy. The structure of active ingredients can be much more complex than with traditional drug delivery systems (DDS).

You’re likely to see an uptick in health supplements that use liposomal delivery in the near future. The current drugs containing liposomal are just the tip of the iceberg for the health industry.

Liposomal is the ideal companion for dietary supplements. Manufacturers can utilize more natural ingredients that are known to be volatile once introduced into the body’s system. Because liposomes have a protective layer, these pure ingredients can get to where they’ll be most effective without prematurely breaking down.

Vitamin C

A uniquely beneficial vitamin that helps maintain healthy skin cells, blood vessels, bones, and cartilage.

Magnesium

A powerful chemical element that is beneficial for protein synthesis.

Glutathione

A substance made from amino acids that’s essential for tissue building and repair.

Curcumin

A therapeutic compound derived from turmeric known for anti-inflammatory properties.

NAD+

An essential anti-aging coenzyme affecting cellular function.

Liposomal technology can improve the body’s ability to absorb a wide range of nutrients. In fact, manufacturers are able to create more complex formulas thanks to liposomes and their ability to contain both water-soluble and water-resistant ingredients.

Liposomal delivery allows for more effective formulas. Complex botanical mixtures can be made using various raw compounds without risk of them being prematurely absorbed and thus destroyed before the body can reap the benefits.

Liposomal technology is at the forefront of drug delivery. There are a plethora of parameters that make a liposomal formal more effective. Let’s take a look.

We know that liposomes are able to encapsulate an active ingredient for transport throughout the body. These nourishing marvels are enhanced with liposomal technology that allows them to travel with ease across cell membranes that traditional DDS wouldn’t be able to pass through.

Think of liposomes as a little Army tasked to protect active ingredients as they make their way to your small intestines. Nutrients get to where they’re supposed to go without breaking down in the mouth or stomach. Thus active ingredients are better utilized within the body.

Liposomal has been shown to reduce side effects over conventional anti-cancer drugs in clinical trials.¹⁰ While the delivery system did not improve therapeutic outcomes in this particular trial, improved patient tolerability was noticeable.

In addition, drug-induced gastrointestinal irritation can be reduced with liposomal delivery. By encapsulating an active ingredient in liposomes, direct contact with the intestinal environment is avoided.
With fewer side effects, liposomal-containing drugs can increase maximum-tolerated dose, thus potentially improving therapeutic benefits.

Many of the drugs that utilize liposomal delivery have a short circulation when used on their own. Due to the drug’s rapid uptake in the reticuloendothelial system (RES), they’re often limited in what they can accomplish without extremely high dosages. With liposomal delivery, a drug’s half-life is significantly improved – making an ineffective drug more productive.

In fact, liposomes have been clinically shown to significantly prolong circulation times.7 This allows manufacturers to offer a broader range of therapeutic applications that were not possible prior to liposomal drug delivery.

Liposomal delivery allows for advanced release methods other drug delivery systems can’t. Because liposomal allows for complex combinations of active ingredients, manufacturers are able to maximize formulas to suit almost any need.

Let’s say there are two active ingredients known to have anti-aging benefits. One is water-soluble, while the other is water-resistant.

Normally, a manufacturer would need to implore methods such as amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) to make a poorly soluble ingredient usable.11 With liposomal technology that problem is all but eliminated. Pure ingredients can be used for maximum efficacy without the need to improve their oral bioavailability.

There’s a lot of questions surrounding liposomal delivery. Intense research on the technology continues to this day – with greater and greater advancements. Here, we’ll break down some of the touch questions surrounding liposomes and they’re delivery system – liposomal.