Liposome Size Control for Lymphatic Drug Delivery
Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Lauren Sestito
College
College of Engineering (COE)
Discipline(s)
Bioengineering
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-24-2025
Abstract
Liposomes are small, spherical vesicles created from cholesterol and phospholipids which show potential for oral drug administration. In order to investigate how liposome characteristics impact their stability in gastrointestinal environments, their transport across the gut epithelium, and subsequent drug access to the lymphatic system, control over liposome properties is required. The goal of this research is thus to identify synthesis conditions that allow for control of liposome size and charge, and to synthesize a panel of liposomes over a broad size range which will be used to investigate the impact of liposome properties on lymphatic uptake of orally administered drugs. Liposomes were composed of two different phosphatidylcholines (DPPC and DOPC) and cholesterol and were synthesized using the thin-film hydration method. Liposome diameter and zeta potential were characterized using a Malvern dynamic light scattering instrument. Control of product size was tested by varying synthesis conditions like the molar ratio of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol and resuspension concentration. The impact of processing methods like sonication and filtration were also assessed. This project improves our understanding of how synthesis conditions impact liposome characteristics, enabling future testing of the impact of these characteristics on drug access to the lymphatic system.
Recommended Citation
Fay, Anna; Mann, Makayla; Sepp, Kaspar; and Sestito, Lauren, "Liposome Size Control for Lymphatic Drug Delivery" (2025). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1472.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1472
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Anna Fay is a senior biomedical engineering major. She is interested in the many applications of liposomal drug delivery systems and has been doing research with Dr. Sestito since the fall of 2023.
Makayla Mann is a junior bioengineering major.
Kaspar Sepp is a sophomore bioengineering major.