[Liposomes--drug carriers for retinally active drugs?]

Small lipid droplets, the so-called liposomes, can serve as drug carriers and can in theory be targeted directly at diseased tissue. Thus, comparatively smaller quantities of drugs than usual are necessary. However, liposomes are recognized by the immune system and are absorbed by the reticuloendothelial system and therefore also by the Kupffer cells in the liver. These cells are storage compartments for esterified vitamin A. As about 80% of the liposomes are metabolized in the liver, retinoids form a pool for substances transported with retinoid-binding proteins. Whether retinoids reach the retina via direct liposome contact or through the endocytotic process is still not clear. In rabbits, however, retinoids applied in small unilamellar liposomes (SUV) produce photoreceptor malfunctioning (isotretinoin and etretinate) and photoreceptor outer segment damage with an increase in phagocytotic activity of the retinal pigment epithelium (etretinate).