Liposome carrier vesicle (None)

A **liposome carrier vesicle** is an artificial spherical structure composed of one or more phospholipid bilayers that can encapsulate both water-soluble and fat-soluble substances. Liposomes are widely used in pharmaceutical science as vehicles for delivering drugs, nutrients, vaccines (including mRNA vaccines), and genetic material. They are not naturally occurring biological targets but rather engineered nanoparticles designed to improve the pharmacokinetics and targeting of therapeutic agents. The structure allows them to protect their cargo from degradation until reaching the intended site of action. Various types exist based on size and lamellarity—such as small unilamellar vesicles (SUV), large unilamellar vesicles (LUV), multilamellar vesicles (MLV), etc.—and their interaction with cells can occur through endocytosis or membrane fusion. While highly versatile for medical applications including cancer therapy and infectious disease treatment, liposomes themselves do not possess receptor-like functions nor serve as direct molecular targets; they function solely as carriers. Note: "Liposome/microbubble carrier vesicle" is **not** a canonical molecular target like an enzyme or receptor but rather refers to a class of synthetic drug delivery systems. Thus it should be flagged as incorrect if listed among true molecular targets. If you need information about microbubbles specifically—or about hybrid systems—please clarify further.

Other names

LiposomeLiposomal vesicleArtificial lipid vesicleDrug delivery liposome

Liposomes themselves do not have intrinsic pharmacological activity; instead, they act as carriers that deliver encapsulated drugs to target tissues via mechanisms such as endocytosis, membrane fusion, or release in response to environmental triggers like pH changes.