Bio-Nano Interactions for Liposome Design

This thesis aimed to investigate how nanomedicine properties (in particular lipid composition, surface charge, targeting ligand type and amount, as well as surface functionalization strategy) affect the interactions with the complex biological environments in which nanomedicines are applied, as well as their interaction with the targeted cells and cell receptors. These complex interactions collectively influence the behavior of liposome nanocarriers in biological systems. Although liposomes are among the most mature nanomedicine platforms, their performance is still limited by the complexity of the biological environment in which they are applied and need to function. Factors such as nanoparticle surface charge, biomolecule corona formation, receptor expression at the targeted cells, competition with endogenous biomolecules, mechanism of uptake and intracellular transport collectively determine the ultimate fate of liposomes and their efficacy at a cell level. This thesis delves into how these interconnected factors regulate cellular uptake and subcellular delivery, and proposes design principles for the rational design of more efficient nanocarriers.