Bolaamphiphilic vesicles encapsulating iron oxide nanoparticles: new vehicles for magnetically targeted drug delivery.

Bolaamphiphiles - amphiphilic molecules consisting of two hydrophilic headgroups linked by a hydrophobic chain - form highly stable vesicles consisting of a monolayer membrane that can be used as vehicles to deliver drugs across biological membranes, particularly the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We prepared new vesicles comprising bolaamphiphiles (bolavesicles) that encapsulate iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and investigated their suitability for targeted drug delivery. Bolavesicles displaying different headgroups were studied, and the effect of IONP encapsulation upon membrane interactions and cell uptake were examined. Experiments revealed more pronounced membrane interactions of the bolavesicles assembled with IONPs. Furthermore, enhanced internalization and stability of the IONP-bolavesicles were observed in b.End3 brain microvessel endothelial cells - an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier. Our findings indicate that embedded IONPs modulate bolavesicles' physicochemical properties, endow higher vesicle stability, and enhance their membrane permeability and cellular uptake. IONP-bolavesicles thus constitute a promising drug delivery platform, potentially targeted to the desired location using external magnetic field.

Self-assembly and lipid interactions of diacylglycerol lactone derivatives studied at the air/water interface.

Synthetic diacylglycerol lactones (DAG-lactones) have been shown to be effective modulators of critical cellular signaling pathways. The biological activity of these amphiphilic molecules depends in part upon their lipid interactions within the cellular plasma membrane. This study explores the thermodynamic and structural features of DAG-lactone derivatives and their lipid interactions at the air/water interface. Surface-pressure/area isotherms and Brewster angle microscopy revealed the significance of specific side-groups attached to the terminus of a very rigid 4-(2-phenylethynyl)benzoyl chain of the DAG-lactones, which affected both the self-assembly of the molecules and their interactions with phospholipids. The experimental data highlight the formation of different phases within mixed DAG-lactone/phospholipid monolayers and underscore the relationship between the two components in binary mixtures of different mole ratios. Importantly, the results suggest that DAG-lactones are predominantly incorporated within fluid phospholipid phases rather than in the condensed phases that form, for example, by cholesterol. Moreover, the size and charge of the phospholipid headgroups do not seem to affect DAG-lactone interactions with lipids.