Recent Trends in the Clinical Translation of Liposomal Drug Delivery Systems: Application from Conventional Therapeutics to Gene-Based Nanomedicine

Objective: This review aims to summarize recent advances in liposome-based drug delivery systems and their applications for diverse therapeutic agents, including conventional chemotherapy, natural compounds, and gene-based therapeutics. Method: We comprehensively analyzed recent studies focusing on various liposomal formulations and strategies designed to enhance delivery performance. This review focused on strategies involving surface ligand conjugation, ion-pairing, cell-mimetic designs, and charge modulation. Result: Emerging liposomal strategies demonstrated enhanced drug retention, improved intracellular delivery, and increased target specificity while addressing critical challenges, including premature drug leakage, controlled drug release, non-specific tissue distribution, and multidrug resistance. Novel designs employing co-encapsulation, sustained-release platforms, and biomimetic coatings have demonstrated superior efficacy in preclinical models of cancer, infection, and inflammatory diseases. In addition, the development of liposomes for genetic therapeutics such as DNA, mRNA, and siRNA delivery has provided a promising avenue for precision therapy. Conclusion: Recent developments in liposome-based delivery technologies offer promising solutions to the limitations of conventional drug formulations. By integrating innovative structural designs and active targeting strategies, these systems demonstrate significant potential for clinical translation across diverse therapeutic contexts. However, further work is required to ensure scalable manufacturing, reproducibility, and regulatory compliance to fully harness their clinical potential.