Liposomal Encapsulation Technology (LET)

A liposome is a tiny bubble made out of the same material as the cell membrane of each of our cells in the body. Membranes are usually made of phospholipids, which are molecules that have a head group and a tail group. The head is attracted to water, and the tail, which is made of a long hydrocarbon chain, is repelled by water. In nature, phospholipids are found in stable membranes composed of two layers (a bi-layer). In the presence of water, the heads are attracted to water and line up to form a surface facing the water. The tails are repelled by water, and line up to form a surface away from the water. In a cell, one layer of heads faces outside of the cell, attracted to the water in the environment. Another layer of heads faces inside the cell, attracted by the water inside the cell. The hydrocarbon tails of one layer face the hydrocarbon tails of the other layer, and the combined structure forms a bi-layer. What is outside the cell is kept from entering the cell unless it can pass through the cell membrane. This is nature's way of protecting the cell from foreign insult. Bacteria, germs and toxin cannot enter the cell unless it can pass through this phospholipids bi-layer cell membrane. The same protection, however, reduces delivery of potentially beneficial material required by the cell when needed.
 

Since its discovery in 1961, the liposome has been used extensively for many years in the medical community to deliver tiny amounts of therapeutic substances to specific target organs and tissues without being altered. It is nature's perfect delivery system designed to be able to pass seamlessly through lipids barriers in the 70 trillion cell membranes of the body. To deliver molecules to sites of action inside the cell, the liposome enters the cell from the outside and emerges once inside, delivering liposome content into the cell.

Construction of the liposome is a highly technical and time consuming process. It is only as good as its structural integrity and its size. Lipsomes are formed by different structural blocks or lamellar. The lamellar can be single or multiple layered. A Single layer is more pliable, and multiple lamellar are more strong. A perfect balance is absolutely necessary for proper membrane stability and integrity during its journey to the cell. Liposomes must also be sized properly to maximize its ability to transverse the cell membrane. Construction of the right liposome structure and size is therefore critical.