Phospholipid vesicle

Phospholipid vesicles are spherical structures composed of one or more lipid bilayers formed by the self-assembly of phospholipids in aqueous solution[1][7][6]. Naturally occurring vesicles function in intracellular transport and signaling, while engineered phospholipid vesicles (often called liposomes) have high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tunable surface properties, allowing them to encapsulate drugs or proteins for targeted delivery, controlled release, gene therapy, vaccine delivery, and as model systems for studying cell membranes[5][7]. They are fundamental to membrane research, serve as carriers in nanomedicine, and are instrumental in enabling cellular mimicry and drug formulation development[5][7]. Critical note: "Phospholipid vesicle" designates a structural entity, not a molecular target such as a receptor or enzyme—its inclusion as a therapeutic "target" is not scientifically accurate; it is a research tool and delivery vehicle, not a druggable protein or nucleic acid[5][7][6].

Other names

liposomelipid vesicleartificial vesicleunilamellar vesiclemultilamellar vesicle