Cubosomes: Novel Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery

Abstract

Cubosomes are nanostructured systems which are made up of various amphiphilic lipids and stabilizers in a definite proportion. Cubosomes have a curved bicontinuous lipid bilayer which is organized in a three-dimensional space in such a way that gives it a honeycomb-like structure. In general, cubosomes are the colloidal dispersion of a bicontinuous cubic liquid phase in a solution of suitable stabilizers like poloxamers. Cubosomes are associated with a number of advantages compared to vesicular structures like liposomes and niosomes. They can incorporate a wide range of drugs like hydrophilic, lipophilic, and amphiphilic and moreover they are more thermodynamically stable than liposomes, niosomes, and other vesicular nanocarriers. They are also bioadhesive in nature and provide controlled release of a drug over longer period of time. Due to its unique properties, cubosomes are proving to be promising drug delivery systems. This chapter focuses on various aspects of cubosomes such as the mechanism of their formation, advantages and limitations, methods of preparation and characterization, applications in drug delivery, and safety and toxicity concerns. The various research works reported for therapeutic applications of cubosomes and the related patents have also been included in this chapter.