Efforts to describe and model the molecular structure of biological membranes go back to the beginning of the last century. In 1917, Langmuir described membranes as a layer of lipids one molecule thick [1]. Eight years later, Gorter and Grendel concluded from their studies that "the phospholipid molecules that formed the cell membrane were arranged in two layers to form a lipid bilayer" [2]. Danielli and Robertson proposed, in 1935, a model in which the bilayer of lipids is sequestered between two monolayers of unfolded proteins [3], and the currently still accepted fuid mosaic model was proposed by Singer and Nicolson in 1972 [4]. Among those landmarks of biomembrane history, a serendipitous observation made by Alex Bangham during the early 1960s deserves undoubtedly a special place. His fnding that exposure of dry phospholipids to an excess of water gives rise to lamellar structures [5] has opened versatile experimental access to studying the biophysics and biochemistry of biological phospholipid membranes. Although during the following 4 decades biological membrane models have grown in complexity and functionality [6], liposomes are, besides supported bilayers, membrane nanodiscs, and hybrid membranes, still an indisputably important tool for membrane b- physicists and biochemists. In vol. II of this book, the reader will fnd detailed methods for the use of liposomes in studying a variety of biochemical and biophysical membrane phenomena concomitant with chapters describing a great palette of state-of-the-art analytical technologies.

Table of Contents:
Current Trends in Liposome Research.- Nanoliposomes: Preparation and Analysis.- Preparation of DRV Liposomes.- Elastic Liposomes for Topical and Transdermal Drug Delivery.- Archaebacterial Tetraetherlipid Liposomes.- Cationic Magnetoliposomes.- Ultrasound-Responsive Liposomes.- Liposome Formulations of Hydrophobic Drugs.- Remote Loading of Anthracyclines into Liposomes.- Arsonoliposomes: Preparation and Physicochemical Characterization.- Liposome-Based Vaccines.- Mannosylated Liposomes for Targeted Vaccines Delivery.- Liposomes for Specific Depletion of Macrophages from Organs and Tissues.- Vesicular Phospholipid Gels.- Environment-Responsive Multifunctional Liposomes.- Functional Liposomal Membranes for Triggered Release.- A “Dock and Lock” Approach to Preparation of Targeted Liposomes.- Conjugation of Ligands to the Surface of Preformed Liposomes by Click Chemistry.- Targeted Magnetic Liposomes Loaded with Doxorubicin.- Liposomes for Drug Delivery to Mitochondria.- Cytoskeletal-Antigen Specific Immunoliposomes: Preservation of Myocardial Viability.- Gadolinium-Loaded Polychelating Polymer-Containing Tumor-Targeted Liposomes.- Angiogenic Vessel-Targeting DDS by Liposomalized Oligopeptides.- TAT-Peptide Modified Liposomes: Preparation, Characterization, and Cellular Interaction.- ATP-Loaded Liposomes for Targeted Treatment in Models of Myocardial Ischemia.- Intracellular ATP Delivery Using Highly Fusogenic Liposomes.- Lipoplex Formation Using Liposomes Prepared by Ethanol Injection.- Acid-Labile Liposome/pDNA Complexes.- Serum-Resistant Lipoplexes in the Presence of Asialofetuin.- Anionic pH Sensitive Lipoplexes.- Liposomal siRNA Delivery.- Complexation of siRNA and pDNA with Cationic Liposomes: The Important Aspects in Lipoplex Preparation.- Effective In Vitro andIn Vivo Gene Delivery by the Combination of Liposomal Bubbles (Bubble Liposomes) and Ultrasound Exposure.- Liposomal Magnetofection.- Long-Circulating, pH-Sensitive Liposomes.- Serum-Stable, Long-Circulating, pH-Sensitive PEGylated Liposomes.