{"title":"Cholesterol-mediated functionalization of liposomes for artificial cell design","authors":"Xin Qiao, Xiaoliang Wang, Xin Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.trechm.2024.08.003","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>To achieve functionalized liposomes and their expanding applications in assembling artificial cells and solve problems of poor stability and single structure of liposomes, recent progress in state-of-the-art liposomes has employed cholesterol as an ‘anchor’ to enrich phospholipid membranes with modifications. Cholesterol is widely used because of its capacity for robust hydrophobic interactions with phospholipids. Introducing cholesterol into liposomes renders them more similar to cells. This review summarizes the various designs and applications of cholesterol-based anchors in liposomes, including surface macromolecular modification of liposomes to achieve improved properties and functionalization, cholesterol-mediated liposome membrane fusion, and cholesterol-mediated hierarchical construction of liposomes as artificial cell models. These studies guide artificial cells to reveal the behavior of life and wider applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":48544,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Chemistry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":14.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Trends in Chemistry","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trechm.2024.08.003","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
To achieve functionalized liposomes and their expanding applications in assembling artificial cells and solve problems of poor stability and single structure of liposomes, recent progress in state-of-the-art liposomes has employed cholesterol as an ‘anchor’ to enrich phospholipid membranes with modifications. Cholesterol is widely used because of its capacity for robust hydrophobic interactions with phospholipids. Introducing cholesterol into liposomes renders them more similar to cells. This review summarizes the various designs and applications of cholesterol-based anchors in liposomes, including surface macromolecular modification of liposomes to achieve improved properties and functionalization, cholesterol-mediated liposome membrane fusion, and cholesterol-mediated hierarchical construction of liposomes as artificial cell models. These studies guide artificial cells to reveal the behavior of life and wider applications.
期刊介绍:
Trends in Chemistry serves as a new global platform for discussing significant and transformative concepts across all areas of chemistry. It recognizes that breakthroughs in chemistry hold the key to addressing major global challenges. The journal offers readable, multidisciplinary articles, including reviews, opinions, and short pieces, designed to keep both students and leading scientists updated on pressing issues in the field.
Covering analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry, the journal highlights major themes such as biochemistry, catalysis, environmental chemistry, materials, medicine, polymers, and supramolecular chemistry. It also welcomes articles on chemical education, health and safety, policy and public relations, and ethics and law.