Uniform Microscale Thermoresponsive Liposomes for Controlled Release Above Body Temperature.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Stimuli-responsive delivery systems, especially thermoresponsive ones, are crucial for physiological applications.
• Existing thermoresponsive platforms face challenges with biocompatibility, response time, and scalable manufacturing.
• Liposomes are biocompatible but lack scalable methods for producing uniform thermosensitive variants active above 37°C.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop the first scalable strategy for producing monodisperse thermoresponsive liposomes.
• To achieve liposomes with stable encapsulation at physiological temperatures and sharp, temperature-triggered release above 37°C.
• To enable applications in drug delivery, biosensing, and synthetic biology.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a corona-discharge-treated PDMS double-emulsion device for scalable liposome generation.
• Encapsulated aqueous cores within DPPC-containing oleic acid shells, stabilized by Pluronic F-127.
• Employed ethanol-mediated solvent extraction with rotational mixing and surfactant tuning for efficient bilayer formation.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated uniform, monodisperse thermoresponsive liposomes.
• Achieved abrupt cargo release at approximately 41°C-45°C, above physiological temperature.
• Demonstrated stable encapsulation at 37°C and rapid release triggered by supra-physiological temperatures.

Conclusions:

• Presented the first scalable platform for uniform thermoresponsive liposomes with sharp, temperature-triggered release.
• The developed liposomes offer significant potential for advanced drug delivery, biosensing, and synthetic biology applications.
• This method overcomes limitations of previous thermoresponsive systems, enabling practical physiological applications.