Liposomes have long been investigated as drug delivery mechanisms in humans and animals, but only recently have they started to be used clinically in targeted cancer therapies and now, vaccines. Liposomes are simply vesicles with a phospholipid bilayer that contain an inner aqueous compartment. Hydrophilic compounds could be carried in the buffer inside the liposome or hydrophobic drugs within the membrane itself.
For instance, the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines actually use liposome technology to deliver the SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA to human cells. The liposomes fuse with the plasma membrane allowing the contents of the liposome to enter the cytosol of cells. Of course, once the mRNA is in the cytosol is can be translated to protein on a ribosome.
Explain why
The plasma membrane, also known as the cell membrane, is the membrane that divides the inside of the cell from the outside surroundings. It is found in all cells. This plasma membrane constitutes of a bilayer known as the semipermeable lipid bilayer. The passage of materials into and out of the cell is controlled by the plasma membrane.
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