Archaeosomes as means of nano-drug delivery

Archaeosomes are a novel generation of liposomes that are made from polar ether lipids extracted from the Archaea. They have higher stabilities in acidic or alkaline pH, bile salts, high temperatures and against phospholipase, oxidation, chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis in comparison with conventional liposomes. Ether links are more stable than ester links. The ability of Archaea to adapt their membrane lipid compositions to harsh environments has resulted in archaeal lipids to be considered for the development of nano-drug delivery capable of overcoming the biophysical, biological and biomedical barriers that the body displays towards gene, drug and vaccine therapies. Archaeosomes are prepared from various type of Archaea which show high adjuvant activity and can promote humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. In-vitro and in-vivo studies indicate that archaeosomes are safe and can be used in biotechnology applications such as drug, gene and vaccine delivery. (C) 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins