Magnetic liposomes

In Drug Delivery

Applications

The use of magnetic liposomes must work in conjuction with an external magnetic field.  One such work by A.A. Kuznetsov and colleagues magnetically guided magnetic liposomes containing muscle relaxants and anti-cancer photodynamic drugs.

Kuznetsov tested his experiment by stimulating a feline’s legs using rectangular electric signals (0.5 Hz) and recorded the muscle response (Figure 4). A non-uniform permanent magnetic field with 2500 Oe intensity was placed the field over one leg of a feline. The second leg of the feline was placed outside of the field and served as a control. Effect of the encapsulated muscle relaxants was assessed by amplitude of induced potentials of the leg muscle.

Kuznetsov found that nerve-muscle potentials were reduced by 70% in the extremity placed in the magnetic field, while the control extremity were only reduced by 15% (Figure 4).  The authors further experimented using magnetic liposomes carrying ascorbic acid and Teraphthal to kill tumors. The morphological studies of tumors in mice with Ehrlich-Lettre carcinoma treated with these liposomes showcased up to 95% necrosis of the tumor tissue.

Their data demonstrate fully the possibilities of targeted drug delivery using magnetic liposomes. In this case, magnetic liposomes makes targeted delivery of peripheral muscle relaxants possible for muscle relaxation and cancer therapy in place of surgery on extremities and without the need for general anesthesia.

 

E-mail: bshergil@uci.edu

Figure 3: Experimental setup for targeted delivery of magnetic liposomes

Bhupinder Shergill

BME 240 UC Irvine

Figure 4: Results of extremities with and without a magnetic field present