[Trends in the development of research in the field of liposomes (review of patent literature)].

The review embraces major trends and tendencies in liposome studies and is based on the statistical and qualitative analysis of patent information issued in the period 1970-1988. Special attention is devoted to the analysis of patents in liposome production techniques, their lipid composition, and application in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries and also for the diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Liposomal preparations are shown to be superior to common drugs as concerns, in particular, liposomes containing medicinal agents for prolonged use (including hormones, antibiotics, cytostatics, and immunostimulants) and liposomes used in dermatological practice.

The preparation and characterization of lipid vesicles containing esters of sucrose and fatty acids.

Encapsulation and electron microscopy studies have shown that aqueous dispersions of several nonionic emulsifiers with sucrosepalmitatestearate (SPS) structure and cholesterol (Chol) result in synthetic lipid vesicles. This was demonstrated for the commercial emulsifier sucrosepalmitatestearate for the first time. Such vesicles were able to entrap aqueous solutes, for instance the fluorescence marker carboxyfluorescein (CF) for a period of more than 10 weeks with latencies of about 90 per cent.