liposome

[lip-uh-sohm, lahy-puh-]

noun

1. Cell Biology.,  a microscopic artificial sac composed of fatty substances and used in experimental research of the cell.

liposome

/ ˈlɪpəʊˌsəʊm /

noun

1. a particle formed by lipids, consisting of a double layer similar to a natural biological membrane, enclosing an aqueous compartment

Other Word Forms

• liposomal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of liposome¹

First recorded in 1905–10; lipo- ¹ + -some ³

Example Sentences

The inhalation method is more efficient in building higher concentrations of IL-12 right where it is needed than other ways of delivering mRNA such as using liposomes.

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"We packed it into small lipid vesicles, known as liposomes, and then tested them first in cultures of various human cancer cell lines. The cells used the artificial mRNA to produce functional p53 protein."

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But in high doses, liposomes can damage cells, and both liposomes and viral carriers can trigger immune reactions after repeated administration.

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Deactivated viruses, liposomes and nanoparticles are therefore being tested as vehicles by which to convey the genome-editing machinery to faulty cells in vivo.

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It might also be accomplished through chemical tags that regulate which liposomes can fuse together, or through a time-release system.

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