Synthetic Polymeric Nanocarriers

Echogenic immunoliposomes are nano-carriers controlled by ultrasound to release encapsulated compounds/drugs from their carriers. These echogenic nano-carriers are fabricated by suspending lipids in an aqueous phase and then adding mannitol, followed by lyophilisation (Alkan-Onyuksel et al. 1996; Huang et al. 2001). The echogenicity of these nano-carriers is due to the presence of entrapped and stabilized gas within the lipid phase during rehydration and sequential lyophilisation (Huang et al. 2002). Echogenic nano-carriers are applicable for drug delivery in specific tissues by modifying their liposomal surface with target-specific antibodies and ligands (Leonetti et al. 1990; Martin et al. 1990). For instance, echogenic nano-carriers attached with antibodies of VCAM-1 are helpful for identifying pathologic endothelium in its initial stage of atherosclerosis growth.