Role of Phospholipid Derivatives of Cyclodextrins in the Formation of Stable Lipid Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

The review is devoted to the physical methods of investigation of the structural characteristics of inclusion complexes of supramers of phospholipid derivatives of cyclodextrins. Phospholipid derivatives of cyclodextrins are formed by attaching a phospholipid moiety to the cyclodextrin molecule. This modification imparts additional structural features to the cyclodextrin, increasing its solubility and stability in aqueous media. These new compounds can self-assemble in aqueous media into supramolecular nanocomplexes of different types. Biomedical applications are envisaged for nanoencapsulation of drug molecules in hydrophobic interchain volumes and nanocavities of amphiphilic cyclodextrins (serving as drug carriers or pharmaceutical excipients), antitumor phototherapy, gene delivery, and protection of unstable active ingredients by the complexation of inclusions in nanostructured media. Special attention is focused on the morphology of nanoparticles, because efficient delivery systems must meet certain requirements. Classical physical methods cannot provide detailed information on the properties of potential structures for biomedical applications. To this end, the search for new noninvasive approaches is necessary.