Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Live-cell Imaging of Lysosomal Membrane Permeabilization During Necroptosis
Published on: November 14, 2025
Cationic liposomes induce cell necrosis through lysosomal dysfunction and late-stage autophagic flux inhibition
Kaixuan Yang1,2,3, Ying Lu1, Fangyuan Xie1,4
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China.
Aim:
The application of cationic liposomes (CLs) as nonviral vectors is hampered by their cellular toxicity. Thus we aim to investigate the mechanisms underlying the cellular toxicity of CLs.
Materials & Methods:
The effect of CLs on the autophagic flux, autophagosome-lysosome fusion, lysosome membrane permeabilization and cell necrosis of liver cells was investigated.
Results & Conclusion:
Our results reveal a novel mechanism of CL-induced cell necrosis involving the induction of lysosome membrane permeabilization and late-stage autophagic flux inhibition that resulted in cytoplasmic release of cathepsin B, mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species production, which are the key mediators of cell necrosis. Our study is important for revealing the cellular toxicity of CLs and designing safer gene delivery systems.
Related Concept Videos
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
Necrosis
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Autophagy
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Overview of Cell Death
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized...

