Liposomal modular complexes for simultaneous targeted delivery of bioactive gases and therapeutics.

Intrinsically echogenic liposomes (ELIP) can be adapted to encapsulate nitric oxide to facilitate ultrasound-enhanced delivery of therapeutic agents to atherosclerotic plaques. However, the NO loading of targeted ELIP caused a 93% decrease of antibody (Ab) immunoreactivity. The following hypothesis was tested: biotin/avidin-mediated coupling of NO-ELIP and Ab-conjugated ELIP will enable co-delivery of bioactive gases and ELIP that can encapsulate other agents without loss of targeting efficiency. Complex formation was initiated by addition of excess streptavidin to equal proportions of biotinylated Ab-ELIP and NO-ELIP. Fluorescence deconvolution microscopy, Coulter Multisizer 3 analysis and flow cytometry demonstrated that the ELIP coupling procedure formed mixed aggregates of >or=10 liposomes within 1 min. Intravascular ultrasound imaging and ELISA showed that echogenicity and targeting efficiency were completely and 69-99% retained, respectively. When complexed to NO-ELIP, ELIP bifunctionally targeted to both CD34 and ICAM-1 (BF-ELIP) increased human mononuclear cell migration through human coronary artery endothelial cell monolayers in transwell plates 4-fold relative to a nonspecific IgG-ELIP control and 2-fold relative to BF-ELIP alone. It was concluded that this novel multi-functional conjugation methodology provides a platform technology for site-specific co-delivery of bioactive gases and other agents.