Binding and uptake of transferrin-bound liposomes targeted to transferrin receptors of endothelial cells.

The use of liposomes as carriers for site-specific delivery is an attractive strategy, especially for the vascular endothelium that by position is an accessible target for drug and gene delivery via the blood circulation. The aim of this study was to detect whether liposomes coupled to transferrin (Tf)-bound and are taken up by aortic endothelial cells (EC) following the pathway of Tf interaction with transferrin receptors, reportedly expressed on their cell membrane. To this purpose, small unilamellar liposomes of different compositions, either classical (C) or sterically stabilized (SS), have been prepared, characterized and coupled with transferrin (Tf-liposomes). To assess the binding and uptake, cultured EC were incubated with fluorescently labelled Tf-liposomes for various times intervals (from 5 min to 24 h) at 4 and 37 degrees C, and further investigated by flow cytometry, fluorimetry and fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that: (i) binding of Tf-liposomes to EC was specific; (ii) the EC binding of SS-Tf-liposomes was lower than that of C-Tf-liposomes; and (iii) after 30 min of incubation, both C- and SS-Tf-liposomes appeared localized in the acidic compartments of the cells. Together, the data indicate that transferrin-bound liposomes are specifically taken up by EC by a receptor-mediated mechanism employing the pathway of surface-exposed Tf receptors.