CELLOIDS: pH-responsive DOPC Giant Unilamellar Vesicles with and without Linoleic Acid

As part of the CELLOIDS project, one of our main research focuses is exploring the feasibility of making the microrobot's membrane responsive to a pH gradient. Specifically, we investigated the incorporation of linoleic acid into Giant unilamellar vesicles composed of DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine).

The provided dataset compiles the diameters of liposomes prepared with DOPC (3.18 mM), DOPC:LA (linoleic acid) at a molar ratio of 100:1, and DOPC:LA at a molar ratio of 50:1. These liposomes were placed in buffers at both pH 6 and pH 7, simulating conditions similar to the tumor microenvironment. Our objective was to assess the stability of these liposomes under these conditions.

In detail, we carefully prepared liposomes with varying molar ratios of DOPC and linoleic acid to determine the optimal amount of linoleic acid that induces membrane deformation while maintaining the structural integrity of the liposomes in acidic solutions. Subsequently, we subjected the liposomes to testing at the specified concentrations and compared their behavior under two different pH values. Finally, we observed the samples using a phase-contrast microscope immediately after the addition of the solutions and after a one-hour incubation period.