The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one liposome and a therapeutic agent for treating depression or anxiety, with a therapeutic agent to lipid ratio equal to or higher than about 0.15. The pharmaceutical composition improves the pharmacokinetic profile and sustains the release of the therapeutic agent. Also provided is the method for treating depression or anxiety using the pharmaceutical composition disclosed herein.

The present invention provides polymersomes comprising amphiphilic block-copolymers and their use to quantify ammonia in samples (e.g., body fluid samples). More particularly, it provides a polymersome comprising (a) a membrane, which comprises a block copolymer of poly(styrene) (PS) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), wherein the PS/PEO molecular weight ratio is higher than 1.0 and lower than 4.0; and (b) a core which encloses an acid and at least one pH-sensitive dye. Compositions, strips and kits comprising the polymersomes are also provided along with methods of quantifying ammonia in a sample using the polymersomes, compositions and kit.

Systems and methods for forming nanoparticles in-situ are disclosed herein. The nanoparticles may be formed in-situ through thermocycling a solution comprising at least one of a molten salt, a surfactant, and a catalyst. The nanoparticles may form in the solution itself and/or on surfaces of a vessel in which the solution is formed. Nanofins may be formed from the agglomeration of particles in the solution and on surfaces. Microchannels may be formed by these nanofins, and in some cases microchannels on a surface may have nanofins form on the surface. In some embodiments, a previously formed solution that has nanoparticles formed in-situ may be used to generate nanofins in a vessel, on a wafer in a vessel, in the solution itself, or combinations thereof.

Nanolipoprotein particles having at least a scaffold protein component and a membrane lipid component and related compositions, methods and systems are described. The membrane lipid component includes at least one or more membrane forming lipids, one or more polymerized lipids and/or one or more polymerizable lipids.

The present invention is directed to compositions useful in assembling vesicles. The composition comprises a first block copolymer; a plurality of first inorganic nanoparticles; a second block copolymer; and a plurality of second inorganic nanoparticles or a plurality of small molecules. The composition is characterized by the ability to self-assemble into a vesicle. Also provided is a method of making a composition for delivery of a therapeutic agent and a method of using the vesicles as imaging agents.

Disclosed are methods for designing and manufacturing biomimetic proteolipid nanovesicles using a microfluidic approach, and in particular, a NanoAssemblr-based platform, which allows for the high-throughput, reproducible, and scalable production of nanoparticles, without affecting their pharmaceutical and biological properties. These nanovesicles, which are composed of synthetic phospholipids and cholesterol, enriched of leukocyte membranes, and surrounding an aqueous core, possess remarkable properties for targeting compounds of interest to particular mammalian cell and tissue types.

A method of preparing a vesicular particle having at least in part a lipid and/or polymeric membrane that is a barrier between the interior and exterior of the vesicular particle, wherein the membrane includes at least one inorganic core nanoparticle embedded in the membrane, the method includes the steps of i) providing a first dispersion with one or more inorganic core particles having a hydrophobic dispersant shell, in a solution of membrane forming lipids and/or polymers in a non-aqueous solvent; and ii) introducing the first dispersion into a non-solvent for the membrane forming lipids and/or polymers, wherein the volume of the non-solvent exceeds the volume of the first dispersion, thereby forming the vesicular particles; the produced particle preparations and their uses.

Stimuli-responsive NPs with excellent stability, high loading efficiency, encapsulation of multiple agents, targeting to certain cells, tissues or organs of the body, can be used as delivery tools. These NPs contain a hydrophobic inner core and hydrophilic outer shell, which endows them with high stability and the ability to load therapeutic agents with high encapsulation efficiency. The NPs are preferably formed from amphiphilic stimulus-responsive polymers or a mixture of amphiphilic and hydrophobic polymers or compounds, at least one type of which is stimuli-responsive. These NPs can be made so that their cargo is released primarily within target certain cells, tissues or organs of the body, upon exposure to endogenous or exogenous stimuli. The rate of release can be controlled so that it may be a burst, sustained, delayed, or a combination thereof. The NPs have utility as research tools or for clinical applications including diagnostics, therapeutics, or combination of both.

The present invention is directed to a liposome composition for use in the peritoneal dialysis of patients suffering from endogenous or exogenous toxicopathies, wherein the pH within the liposomes differs from the pH in the intraperitoneal cavity and wherein the pH within the liposome results in a liposome-encapsulated charged toxin. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising said liposomes. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating patients suffering from endogenous or exogenous toxicopathies, preferably selected from drug, metabolite, pesticide, insecticide, toxin, and chemical warfare toxicopathies, more preferably hyperammonemia, comprising the step of administering liposomes of the invention in a therapeutically effective amount into the peritoneal space of a patient in need thereof. Next to human, the present invention is particularly suitable to veterinary aspects.

Novel encapsulated umirolimus and umirolimus polymer conjugate formulations having enhanced permeability and retention at tumor sites. Also provided are methods for treating cancer by administering the umirolimus formulations.