Provided are liposomes that encapsulate adenosine. The liposomes may be formed from sphingomyelin or a combination of sphingomyelin and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) or a combination of sphingomyelin and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylglycerol (DMPG) or a combination of sphingomyelin, DMPG, and DMPC. The liposomes encapsulating adenosine may be used to induce cartilage regeneration, treat osteoarthritis, alleviate joint pain, and/or slow, arrest, and/or reverse progressive structural tissue damage associated with osteoarthritis or treat osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute gouty arthritis, and/or synovitis. The liposomes may release adenosine for up to two weeks.

Disclosed herein is a composition for gene delivery which forms into liquid crystals in an aqueous fluid including chitosan and a liquid crystal formation material. The composition of the present invention including chitosan and a liquid crystal formation material improves the relatively low binding strength between chitosan and a gene, and also considerably increases the stability of a chitosan nanocomposite in blood serum, thereby performing highly efficient gene delivery and providing excellent stability, thus being useful as a gene therapeutic agent.

An injectable composition of the present invention has remarkably increased safety by forming, into a composition, a sorbitan unsaturated fatty acid ester comprising g a polar head group with two or more —OH (hydroxyl) groups, is in a liquid phase in a phase where an aqueous fluid is absent so as to be easily applied to pharmaceutical preparations in dosage forms, and forms a liquid crystal in an aqueous fluid phase so that sustained-release effects of GnRH analogue, which is used as a pharmaceutically active substance in vivo, are exhibited. In addition, in an injectable composition of the present invention, a sustained-release lipid initial preparation comprising GnRH analogue includes water, and thus a liquid injectable agent forms a liquid crystal gel immediately after administration, so that the effects of reducing initial release rate and remarkably increasing sustained-release properties of the drug are exhibited.

Provided is a sustained-release lipid pre-concentrate in the form of a lipid solution, including an unsaturated fatty acid having 14 to 20 carbon atoms (C14˜C20); a phospholipid; and α-tocopherol acetate, wherein the sustained-release lipid pre-concentrate is free of diacyl glycerol and sorbitan unsaturated fatty acid ester; and forms a liquid crystal in an aqueous medium. Further provided is a sustained-release injectable pharmaceutical composition in the form of a lipid solution, including the pre-concentrate and a pharmacologically active substance, wherein the sustained-release injectable pharmaceutical composition is free of diacyl glycerol and sorbitan unsaturated fatty acid ester.

The present invention provides novel, stable lipid particles having a non-lamellar structure and comprising one or more active agents or therapeutic agents, methods of making such lipid particles, and methods of delivering and/or administering such lipid particles. More particularly, the present invention provides stable nucleic acid-lipid particles (SNALP) that have a non-lamellar structure and that comprise a nucleic acid (such as one or more interfering RNA), methods of making the SNALP, and methods of delivering and/or administering the SNALP.

Provided are liposomes that encapsulate adenosine. The liposomes may be formed from sphingomyelin or a combination of sphingomyelin and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) or a combination of sphingomyelin and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylglycerol (DMPG) or a combination of sphingomyelin, DMPG, and DMPC. The liposomes encapsulating adenosine may be used to induce cartilage regeneration, treat osteoarthritis, alleviate joint pain, and/or slow, arrest, and/or reverse progressive structural tissue damage associated with osteoarthritis or treat osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute gouty arthritis, and/or synovitis. The liposomes may release adenosine for up to two weeks.

The invention provides a compartmentalised gel matrix comprising one or more compartments, wherein each compartment comprises a volume of hydrophobic medium and one or more aqueous droplets therein. The invention further provides a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a compartmentalised gel matrix according to the invention, a synthetic cell comprising a compartmentalised gel matrix according to the invention and a synthetic tissue comprising a compartmentalised gel matrix according to the invention.

A nanocrystalline eye drop contains a double-soluble macromolecule, a single-soluble macromolecule, and a fat-soluble drug. The double-soluble macromolecule and the single-soluble macromolecule interact with each other to encapsulate the fat-soluble drug to form and stabilize a nanocrystalline. The drug can rapidly pass through a blood-ocular barrier into a vitreous body by means of special intercellular space infiltration and/or pinocytosis, and achieve an effective therapeutic effect by means of passive targeting and attachment.

Giant multi-lamellar vesicles (GMVs) comprising lecithin are provided which are at least about 3 μm in size. Methods for preparing the GMVs, and for preparing large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) from the GMVs, are provided, as well as methods for encapsulating cargo within the GMVs and LUVs. The present vesicles are useful for the oral delivery of encapsulated cargo.

Provided are aromatic oligoamide foldamers and self-assembled compositions of the same. The aromatic oligoamide foldamers and compositions can form tube-like structures that can form pores in membranes. The pores can be used to transport ions and molecules, such as, for example, cryoprotective agents or therapeutic agents, through the membrane. The tube-like structures exhibit desirable stability at low temperatures.