A remote controlled valve in liposomes for triggered liposomal release

In order to reduce the toxicity and increase the efficacy of drugs, there is a need for smart drug delivery systems. Liposomes are one of the promising tools for this purpose. An ideal liposomal delivery system should be stable, long-circulating, accumulate at the target site and release its drug in a controlled manner. Even though there have been many developments to this end, the dilemma of having a stable liposome during circulation but converting it into a leaky structure at the target site is still a major challenge. So far, most attempts have focused on destabilizing the liposome in response to a specific stimulus at a target site, but with limited success. Our approach is to keep the stable liposome but build in a remote-controlled valve as a new release mechanism, instead. The valve is a pore-forming bacterial membrane protein. It has been engineered such that, after being reconstituted into the liposomes, its opening and closing can be controlled on command by the ambient pH, light or a combination of both. In addition, a much higher degree of flexibility for fine-tuning of the liposome's response to its environment is achieved.