Liposomes and other vesicular systems: Structural characteristics, methods of preparation, and use in nanomedicine

Vesicular systems, especially liposomes, have generated a great deal of interest as intelligent materials for the delivery of bioactive molecules since they can be used as sensitive containers that respond to external stimuli, such as pressure, pH, temperature, or concentration changes in the medium, triggering modifications in their supramolecular structure. The control of the nanostructure - particle size and size distribution, membrane morphology, and supramolecular organization - of these self-assembled systems is of profound importance for their application in drug delivery and the discovery of new nanomedicines. This chapter will describe the chemical structure of vesicles and their pharmacological properties, conventional and new vesicle preparation methods and structural characterization, as well as their use in the rational design and fabrication of nanomedicines. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.