title: Capsosomes: subcompartmentalizing polyelectrolyte capsules using liposomes.
abstract: Next-generation therapeutic approaches are expected to rely on the engineering of multifunctional particle carriers that can mimic specific cellular functions. The key features of such particles are the semipermeable nature of the shell for communication with the external environment and multiple nanosized individual subcompartments confined within a micron-sized structurally stable scaffold for conducting specific reactions. Herein, we report the formation of capsosomes, a new class of polyelectrolyte capsules containing structurally intact liposomes as cargo. The multilayer film assembly of polyelectrolytes (poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)) and liposomes (50 nm 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC)) was characterized on planar substrates using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and these findings were then correlated to the film growth of the polyelectrolytes and structurally intact liposomes on silica particles. Upon removal of the silica template core, stable capsosomes, containing one or two layers of intact liposomes as cargo, were obtained. This novel platform, capsosomes, which combines the advantages of two systems, liposomes and polyelectrolyte capsules, is expected to find diverse applications in biomedicine, in particular for the creation of artificial cells or organelles where the performance of reactions within a confined environment is a prerequisite.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Städler
authors.forename: Rona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chandrawati
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goldie
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D004573:Electrolytes; D008081:Liposomes; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D008081:Liposomes