Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Handbook: Production and

452 LIPOSOMES AND DRUG DELIVERY
250 nm
250 nm
(a)
(b)
FIGURE 5 Morphological assessment of liposome surface coating using atomic force
microscopy (AFM). AFM images of liposomes prepared with DSPE – PEG 200 – COOH.
( a ) Plain liposomal formulations. The liposomes show a smooth surface morphology. ( b )
Liposomes covalently modifi ed with transferring. Small globular structures are visible at the
surface. ( Reproduced from ref. 73 with permission of Elsevier .)
liposome surface renders them stable against self - aggregation or nonspecifi c interactions,
and this can be achieved by introducing other molecules on the surface,
which may be natural molecules such as glycolipids [82, 83] or antibodies [84] or
lectins [85] (that are usually grafted on the liposome surface by chemical linking).
As also mentioned in the introduction, the RES has been the “ Achilles heel ” to
the delivery of liposomes by injection to the blood stream because of their rapid