NEURONAL BIOSENSORS USING LIPOSOMAL DELIVERY OF LOCAL-ANESTHETICS

The use of liposomal drug incorporation significantly improves the sen sitivity of neuronal sensors to poorly soluble drugs and extends the a pplicability of such sensors to previously undetectable compounds. Dat a presented support physiological models for liposome-neuron interacti ons and are consistent with the channel-blocking actions of local anes thetics. We have incorporated the anesthetics benzocaine, bupivacaine, and tetracaine into liposomes, generating dose-response curves. Lipos omes are shown to extend the range of the biosensor and improve its se nsitivity.