ScienceJuly 31, 2026

liposome

LY-puh-sohm

Definition

A microscopic spherical vesicle composed of a lipid bilayer, used to encapsulate and deliver drugs to specific targets in the body.

Etymology

The word is a blend of the Greek roots 'lipos' (fat) and 'soma' (body), referring to its structure as a small body made of fatty lipids.

In the news

In the article, liposomes are described as microscopic carriers used to package nanoparticle-based chemotherapy drugs to improve their delivery to tumors.

Reshaping the gut microbiome can boost chemotherapy delivery to tumors

Read the full article ↗

UT MD Anderson

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