Mechanisms of Light-induced Liposome Permeabilization

Liposomes have been widely studied for drug delivery applications. The inclusion of photoactive molecules into liposomes opens the possibility of light-controlled cargo release to enhance drug biodistribution or bioavailability at target sites. Membrane permeabilization induced by light can be an effective strategy for enhancing cargo delivery with spatial and temporal control, which holds potential for chemophototherapy approaches. Several diverse mechanisms have been reported including light-induced oxidation, photocrosslinking, photoisomerization, photocleavage and photothermal release. Here, we review selected recent reports of light-triggered cargo release from liposomes.