Health is among the key areas of prime concern among most people. With the advent of the discipline of medicine, health has been improved a great deal. Extensive research has been conducted in the past, and is still an ongoing process, in a bid to curb and eliminate all sorts of health problems. Among the recent breakthroughs is concerned with liposomal formulation.
The process of this formulation was discovered 50 years ago. It came about as a solution to a problem of drugs taken orally being exhausted and digested before reaching the intended target areas. The liposomal way was deemed best suited since it was a favorable carrier to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.
Liposomes bio structure is favorable. They are mainly aqueous at the core. This is close in by a layer of phospholipids. Various strains have different types of phospholipids they could be either natural or synthetically prepared in a laboratory. This provides an ideal state where both extremes of drugs can be safely transported, by either attaching to the liquid core or the lipid outer layers.
Researchers have found the process of formation of these compounds may be critical to their performance. They are formed when strands of phospholipids are put in water, and a given heat amount is directed to them. The composition of the formed liposomes is tested against that of this drug it is intended to carry, so as to determine compatibility and avoid destructive reactions.
When such discoveries are made, researchers are eager to push it so as to find out if the new discovery can lead to better drugs. IN this case it did. An anthracycline drug known as Doxorubicin was developed to help control the spread of cancer. This is achieved by injecting stains of base DNA and RNA into the malignant cells. The enzyme topoisomerase is also injected at a later stage. These procedures inhibit replication of the cells actively controlling their growth.
Research and development has been kicked into top gear with the discovery and advancement of this formulation. There are high expectations from various areas on the development of drugs to help the fight against most terminal illnesses. There has been consistent research in developing anti-cancer drugs in the recent past. Drugs such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, lipoplatin and aroplatin have been developed and testing is ongoing for the same purpose.
The study of liposomes has also led to development of vaccines and various other treatments. Various diseases and medical conditions which previously had no cure can now be vaccinated against. Such developments have established Epaxal, a vaccine against Hepatitis A, and Inflexal V, a vaccine against several types of influenza. A vaccine known as Stimuvax against lighter forms of cancer is in the offing.
The use of liposomes as a carrier for dietary supplements is a newer idea that I undergoing further research. The idea is to use the same technique as the currently successful targeted drug delivery to deliver various supplements taken orally to specific areas in the body. This is however still undergoing research and testing. The use of liposomes in creation of various drugs and vaccines has led to a huge leap in terms of drug research and development. The process of the formulation has thus been lauded as wielding enormous potential for development of better medical solutions for a lot of persistent medical conditions.
The process of this formulation was discovered 50 years ago. It came about as a solution to a problem of drugs taken orally being exhausted and digested before reaching the intended target areas. The liposomal way was deemed best suited since it was a favorable carrier to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.
Liposomes bio structure is favorable. They are mainly aqueous at the core. This is close in by a layer of phospholipids. Various strains have different types of phospholipids they could be either natural or synthetically prepared in a laboratory. This provides an ideal state where both extremes of drugs can be safely transported, by either attaching to the liquid core or the lipid outer layers.
Researchers have found the process of formation of these compounds may be critical to their performance. They are formed when strands of phospholipids are put in water, and a given heat amount is directed to them. The composition of the formed liposomes is tested against that of this drug it is intended to carry, so as to determine compatibility and avoid destructive reactions.
When such discoveries are made, researchers are eager to push it so as to find out if the new discovery can lead to better drugs. IN this case it did. An anthracycline drug known as Doxorubicin was developed to help control the spread of cancer. This is achieved by injecting stains of base DNA and RNA into the malignant cells. The enzyme topoisomerase is also injected at a later stage. These procedures inhibit replication of the cells actively controlling their growth.
Research and development has been kicked into top gear with the discovery and advancement of this formulation. There are high expectations from various areas on the development of drugs to help the fight against most terminal illnesses. There has been consistent research in developing anti-cancer drugs in the recent past. Drugs such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, lipoplatin and aroplatin have been developed and testing is ongoing for the same purpose.
The study of liposomes has also led to development of vaccines and various other treatments. Various diseases and medical conditions which previously had no cure can now be vaccinated against. Such developments have established Epaxal, a vaccine against Hepatitis A, and Inflexal V, a vaccine against several types of influenza. A vaccine known as Stimuvax against lighter forms of cancer is in the offing.
The use of liposomes as a carrier for dietary supplements is a newer idea that I undergoing further research. The idea is to use the same technique as the currently successful targeted drug delivery to deliver various supplements taken orally to specific areas in the body. This is however still undergoing research and testing. The use of liposomes in creation of various drugs and vaccines has led to a huge leap in terms of drug research and development. The process of the formulation has thus been lauded as wielding enormous potential for development of better medical solutions for a lot of persistent medical conditions.
