Multivalent calixarene-based liposomes as platforms for gene and drug delivery

The formation of calixarene-based liposomes was investigated, and the characterization of these nanostructures was carried out using several techniques. Four amphiphilic calixarenes were used. The length of the hydrophobic chains attached to the lower rim as well as the nature of the polar group present in the upper rim of the calixarenes were varied. The lipid bilayer was formed with one calixarene and with the phospholipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, DOPE. The cytotoxicity of the liposomes for various cell lines was also studied. From the results obtained, the liposomes formed with the least cytotoxic calixarene, (TEAC12)4, were used as nanocarriers of both nucleic acids and the antineoplastic drug doxorubicin, DOX. Results showed that (TEAC12)4/DOPE/p-EGFP-C1 lipoplexes, of a given composition, can transfect the genetic material, although the transfection efficiency substantially increases in the presence of an additional amount of DOPE as coadjuvant. On the other hand, the (TEAC12)4/DOPE liposomes present a high doxorubicin encapsulation efficiency, and a slow controlled release, which could diminish the side effects of the drug.This work was financed by the Consejería de Conocimiento, Innovación y Universidades de la Junta de Andalucía (FQM-206, FQM-274, and PY20-01234), the VI Plan Propio Universidad de Sevilla (PP2019/00000748), RTI2018-100692-B-100; P18-RT-1271; PI18-0005-2018; VI-PP AY.SUPLEM- 2019; RYC-2015-18670, The R+D+I grant PID2019-104195G from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation-Agencia Estatal de Investigación/10.13039/501100011033 (P.H.) and the European Union (Feder Funds). The authors thank the University of Seville for the grant VPPI-US. J.A.L. also thanks the Fundación ONCE funded by the Fondo Social Europeo