ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Understanding The Mechanism Behind Ultrasound Responsive PEGylated Liposomes - SANS Before, During, and After Ultrasound Insonation

Abstract: A major challenge in cancer therapy is the inefficient delivery of chemotherapeutics to tumors due to poor drug accumulation in the tumor area. Ultrasound (US)-triggerable liposomes offer a safe, non-invasive means to enable spatiotemporal drug release, minimizing systemic exposure. However, the mechanism behind US-triggered release from liposomes remains unclear, limiting rational formulation design. Proposed models include cavitation-induced disruption, transient pore formation, and lipid reorganization, but no consensus exists. Our studies combine molecular dynamics simulations with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fluorescence polarization (FP), and atomic force microscopy force spectroscopy (AFM-FS). US-triggered release was tenfold higher in polyethylene glycol-coated liposomes versus polycarboxybetaine and polysarcosine coatings, indicating that stealth layers alone don t enhance release. DSC and FP ruled out thermal and fluidity effects, while AFM-FS showed mechanical differences without direct correlation to release efficiency. Yet, these techniques lack the resolution to capture nanoscale membrane rearrangements. To address this, we will incorporate small-angle neutron scattering to monitor nanoscale membrane changes before, during, and after insonation, providing critical insight into US-triggered release mechanisms, thus establishing a framework for rational design of efficient, clinically translatable US-responsive liposomes.

Principal Investigator: Mr Ignasi Simon Grau
Local Contact: Dr Steven Parnell
Experimenter: Dr Wim Bouwman
Experimenter: Dr Alina Rwei
Experimenter: Mr Coen Fransen

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2569101

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2569101

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Mr Ignasi Simon Grau et al; (2025): Understanding The Mechanism Behind Ultrasound Responsive PEGylated Liposomes - SANS Before, During, and After Ultrasound Insonation, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2569101

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.