Liposome Surface Functionalization Based on Different Anchoring Lipids via Staudinger Ligation

Liposome surface functionalization facilitates numerous potential applications of liposomes, such as enhanced stability, bioactive liposome conjugates, and targeted drug, gene and image agent delivery. Anchoring lipids are needed for grafting ligands of interest and play important roles in ligand grafting density, liposome stability, and liposome chemical and physical characteristics as well. In this report, glyco-functionalized liposome systems based on two kinds of anchoring lipids, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and cholesterol (Chol), were prepared by post chemically selective functionalization via Staudinger ligation. The size and stability of the liposomes were confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Particularly, the impact of anchor lipids on the stability of glyco-functionalized liposomes was investigated by comparing two different anchor lipids, namely Chol-PEG ₂₀₀₀ -TP and DSPE-PEG ₂₀₀₀ -TP. In addition, the encapsulation and releasing capacity of the glycosylated liposome based on the two anchoring lipids were investigated by entrapping 5,6-carboxyfluorescein (CF) dye and monitoring the fluorescence leakage, respectively. Furthermore, the density and accessibility of grafted carbohydrate residues on the liposome surface were evaluated for the two anchoring lipid-derived liposomes with lectin binding, respectively.