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Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Production and Targeting of Monovalent Quantum Dots
Published on: October 23, 2014
DQAsomes as the Prototype of Mitochondria-Targeted Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers : An Update
Volkmar Weissig1, Maria Lozoya2, Nusem Yu2
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Midwestern University College of Pharmacy Glendale, Glendale, AZ, USA. vweiss@midwestern.edu.
Abstract:
DQAsomes (dequalinium-based liposome-like vesicles) are the prototype for all mitochondria-targeted vesicular pharmaceutical nanocarrier systems. First described in 1998 in a paper which has been cited as of May 2020 over 150 times, DQAsomes have been successfully explored for the delivery of DNA and low-molecular weight molecules to mitochondria within living mammalian cells. Moreover, they also appear to have triggered the design and development of a large variety of similar mitochondria-targeted nanocarriers . Potential areas of application of DQAsomes and of related mitochondria-targeted pharmaceutical nanocarriers involve mitochondrial gene therapy , antioxidant and updated therapy as well as apoptosis-based anticancer chemotherapy. Here, detailed protocols for the preparation, characterization, and application of DQAsomes are given and most recent developments involving the design and use of DQAsome-related particles are highlighted and discussed.
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