Shear-stress sensitive lenticular vesicles for targeted drug delivery.

Atherosclerosis results in the narrowing of arterial blood vessels and this causes significant changes in the endogenous shear stress between healthy and constricted arteries. Nanocontainers that can release drugs locally with such rheological changes can be very useful. Here, we show that vesicles made from an artificial 1,3-diaminophospholipid are stable under static conditions but release their contents at elevated shear stress.

Putting the 'P' into phospholipids.

Despite almost hundred years of dedicated research, the synthesis of phospholipids remains a challenge. Here, we briefly review important trends and point out possible future directions that might lead to interesting new probes for the membrane environment. An improved liposome purification and concentration protocol rounds up the article.