Biophysical Society Thematic Meeting | Ascona, Switzerland

Liposomes, Exosomes, and Virosomes: From Modeling Complex Membrane Processes to Medical Diagnostics and Drug Delivery

Poster Abstracts

54-POS Board 27 PEGylated Chol-Phospholipids-Based Nanoparticles for Encapsulation of Marine Toxins to Cancer Therapy Marisa P. Sarria 1 , Ivo Lopes 2 , Adelaide Miranda 1 , Pieter A. A. De Beule 1 , Begoña Espiña 1 . 1 INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal, 2 Nanodelivery-I&D em Bionanotecnologia Lda. - University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. Cancer remains still among the most difficult pathologies to surmount. Tumor cells tend to mutate and develop resistance to available drugs. The search for improved cytotoxic agents continues to be adamant for the discovery of novel anticancer therapies. Owing to their potent toxicity, prospecting for novel anticancer agents among marine phyto-derived toxins seems a promising and unexplored path to follow, and even more, if nanoscale vehicles are consider for their targeted delivery towards cancer cells and tissues, to make the most of their interesting features, while reducing in vivo toxicity, limited effectiveness and eventual resistance. In this context, we investigated innovative stealth (including, pH-sensitive) liposomal nanoformulations for marine phycotoxins encapsulation in order to target deliver and control release their well- known potent cytotoxicity. PEGylated liposomes (mean size inferior to 120 nm) composed of Chol-phospholipids were prepared both by thin-film hydration and ethanol injection protocols, coupled with extrusion. Size, polydispersity and surface net-charge were evaluated via dynamic light scattering and Z-potential analysis, respectively. For the non pH-sensitive liposomes, high shelf-stability and conservation of the physicochemical properties along time were obtained, independently of the nanofabrication method. The encapsulation efficiency, releasing profile and serum stability were characterized. To boost the identification of the limits within which these nanosystems can be applied safely, preserving the bioavailability of the loading, in vitro validation is being pursued.

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