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Coacervate-Filled Lipid Vesicles for Protein Delivery
1Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Kimball Hall 290, Ithaca, 14853, USA.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|February 7, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed lipocoacervates (LipCo) for enhanced protein delivery in regenerative medicine. LipCo demonstrates superior colloidal stability compared to traditional coacervates, maintaining protein bioactivity for improved therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Macromolecularly crowded coacervates are promising for protein delivery in tissue engineering.
- Coacervates suffer from poor colloidal stability, limiting their practical applications.
- A method to enhance coacervate stability is crucial for their development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a stable coacervate formulation for protein delivery.
- To investigate the structural integrity and stability of the new formulation.
- To evaluate the bioactivity of proteins delivered via the new formulation.
Main Methods:
- Phospholipids were assembled onto coacervates to create lipocoacervates (LipCo).
- LipCo structural integrity and colloidal stability were assessed over a four-week period.
- The bioactivity of encapsulated vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) was evaluated using an in vitro lymphangiogenesis assay.
Main Results:
- LipCo exhibited a stable, discrete spherical structure with a phospholipid shell.
- LipCo maintained its size over four weeks, unlike coacervates which aggregated within 30 minutes.
- VEGF-C and FGF-2 loaded LipCo significantly enhanced lymphangiogenesis in human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) compared to free proteins or proteins in coacervates.
Conclusions:
- Lipocoacervates (LipCo) offer significantly improved colloidal stability over traditional coacervates.
- LipCo effectively preserves the bioactivity of encapsulated proteins like VEGF-C and FGF-2.
- LipCo represents a promising advanced protein delivery vehicle for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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