Glucan particles (GPs) are monodisperse microspheres derived from baker's yeast and represent an interesting class of microcarriers for theranostic applications as they show a high affinity toward immune system cells. The typical loading strategy was to harness the ability of the molecule to be loaded to interact with nano-/microassembled systems through electrostatic or hydrophobic forces. However, small water-soluble chemicals could not be steadily retained by the leaky shell of GPs. In this work, we propose an alternative loading approach for small water-soluble compounds that is based on their entrapment in the aqueous core of liposomes that are directly formed into the microparticles through the reverse phase evaporation method (REV). The construct obtained may act as biocompatible carrier to deliver and release, even in a triggerable way, bioactive compounds.
Keywords: REV liposomes; glucan particles; heat-mediated release; macrophage labeling; microcarrier.