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Liposomes are cellular structures made up of lipid molecules. Important as a cellular model in the study of basic biology, liposomes are also used in clinical applications such as drug delivery and virus studies.
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Preface
The origins of liposome research can be traced to the contributions of Alec Bangham and colleagues in the mid 1960s. The description of lecithin dispersions as containing ‘‘spherulites composed of concentric lamellae’’ (A. D. Bangham and R. W. Horne, J. Mol. Biol. 8, 660, 1964) was followed by the observation that ‘‘the diffusion of univalent cations and anions out of spontaneously formed liquid crystals of lecithin is remarkably similar to the diffusion of such ions across biological membranes (A. D. Bangham, M. M. Standish and J. C. Watkins, J. Mol. Biol. 13, 238, 1965). Following early studies on the biophysical characterization of multilamellar and unilamellar liposomes, investigators began to utilize liposomes as a well-defined model to understand the structure and function of biological membranes. It was also recognized by pioneers, including Gregory Gregoriadis and Demetrios Papahadjopoulos, that liposomes could be used as drug delivery vehicles. It is gratifying that their efforts and the work of those inspired by them have led to the development of liposomal formulations of doxorubicin, daunorubicin, and amphotericin B, now utilized in the clinic. Other medical applications of liposomes include their use as vaccine adjuvants and gene delivery vehicles, which are being explored in the laboratory as well as in clinical trials. The field has progressed enormously since 1965. This volume describes methods of liposome preparation, and the physicochemical characterization of liposomes. I hope that these chapters will facilitate the work of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and established scientists entering liposome resea