Lipid-Based Liquid Crystals as Drug Delivery Vehicles for Antimicrobial Peptides

    January 2017 in “ Chalmers Publication Library (Chalmers University of Technology) ”
    Lukas Boge
    TLDR Cubosomes enhance antimicrobial peptide stability and effectiveness.
    The study explored the use of lyotropic liquid crystalline (LC) structures as carriers for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to enhance their stability and efficacy. Three AMPs (AP114, DPK-060, and LL-37) were tested with cubic and hexagonal LC structures, including cubosomes and hexosomes. The research found that the cubic LC nanoparticles (LCNPs) showed promising antimicrobial activity, with pre- and post-loaded cubosomes sometimes exhibiting synergistic effects. Hexagonal LCNPs effectively encapsulated AMPs but lacked antimicrobial activity, suggesting inadequate peptide delivery. Notably, cubosomes post-loaded with LL-37 protected the peptide from proteolytic degradation, improving bactericidal effects after proteolysis.
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