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Liposomes, Exosomes, and Virosomes: From Modeling Complex
Membrane Processes to Medical Diagnostics and Drug Delivery
Poster Abstracts
112
54-POS
Board 27
PEGylated Chol-Phospholipids-Based Nanoparticles for Encapsulation of Marine Toxins
to Cancer Therapy
Marisa P. Sarria
1
, Ivo Lopes
2
, Adelaide Miranda
1
, Pieter A. A. De Beule
1
, Begoña Espiña
1
.
1
INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal,
2
Nanodelivery-I&D
em Bionanotecnologia Lda. - University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Cancer remains still among the most difficult pathologies to surmount. Tumor cells tend to
mutate and develop resistance to available drugs. The search for improved cytotoxic agents
continues to be adamant for the discovery of novel anticancer therapies. Owing to their potent
toxicity, prospecting for novel anticancer agents among marine phyto-derived toxins seems a
promising and unexplored path to follow, and even more, if nanoscale vehicles are consider for
their targeted delivery towards cancer cells and tissues, to make the most of their interesting
features, while reducing in vivo toxicity, limited effectiveness and eventual resistance. In this
context, we investigated innovative stealth (including, pH-sensitive) liposomal nanoformulations
for marine phycotoxins encapsulation in order to target deliver and control release their well-
known potent cytotoxicity. PEGylated liposomes (mean size inferior to 120 nm) composed of
Chol-phospholipids were prepared both by thin-film hydration and ethanol injection protocols,
coupled with extrusion. Size, polydispersity and surface net-charge were evaluated via dynamic
light scattering and Z-potential analysis, respectively. For the non pH-sensitive liposomes, high
shelf-stability and conservation of the physicochemical properties along time were obtained,
independently of the nanofabrication method. The encapsulation efficiency, releasing profile and
serum stability were characterized. To boost the identification of the limits within which these
nanosystems can be applied safely, preserving the bioavailability of the loading, in vitro
validation is being pursued.