Encapsulation of <i>N</i>‑Diazeniumdiolates within Liposomes for
Enhanced Nitric Oxide Donor Stability and Delivery
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Abstract
The rapid decomposition of nitric
oxide (NO) donors in aqueous
environments remains a limitation for applications requiring extended
NO release. Herein, we report the synthesis of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine-based
liposomes capable of extended NO release using low molecular weight
NO donors and a reverse-phase evaporation technique. The encapsulation
of the NO donors within the liposomes enabled both prolonged NO release
and enhanced storage compared to free NO donors alone. The NO-releasing
liposomes also demonstrated enhanced efficacy against human pancreatic
cancer cells. These NO-release vehicles represent attractive anticancer
therapeutics due to their potential to store the majority of their
NO payload until reaching cancerous tissue at which time the lower
pH inherent to such environments will trigger an avalanche of NO