Liposomal drug deposits in poly(dopamine) coatings: effect of their composition, cell type, uptake pathway considerations, and shear stress.

Implantable devices equipped with coatings which have the ability to carry and deliver active compounds are of great interest. We report the assembly of liposome-containing poly(dopamine) films, and their interaction with adhering cells. The liposome composition is varied by adding lipophilic dopamine-conjugates and charged lipids. The cell mean fluorescence (CMF) of adhering cells due to the internalization of fluorescent cargo is found to be similar for coatings with the lipophilic-dopamine conjugates, while the charge affects the amount and location of the internalized cargo. The uptake mechanism for cargo by myoblasts using chemical inhibitors is found to be dependent on the used type of liposome. The CMF is significantly reduced for endothelial cells adhering to coatings with applied shear stress.