Delivery of gamma-imaging agents by liposomes

Liposomes are spherical bilayers which spontaneously form when water is add ed to a dried lipid mixture. Much progress has been made in the use of lipo somes as vehicles for the delivery of gamma imaging agents. These radiolabe led liposomes have a wide variety of potential diagnostic uses including th e detection of sites of infection, inflammation, gastrointestinal bleeding, tumor, cardiac blood pool imaging and lymphoscintigraphy. The ability to m odify the surface of the liposomes permits the customization of liposome fo rmulations for each particular diagnostic use. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.