[The state of and perspectives on liposome research]

Liposomes have been used for about 20 years in different fields of biological, medical and biophysical research, especially extensive for the encapsulation of pharmacologically active substances. In comparison with other drug carriers liposomes have some advantages, like variable productibility, biological degradability and relative toxicological and immunological safety. Despite these obvious advantages liposomes are not established pharmaceutical formulations, clinical trials are in the very beginning. In the submitted paper the up-to-date knowledge of liposome research with special emphasis of oncology is examined and future trends are derived.