Modeling Lipid Vesicles' Dynamic Response to Osmotic Pressure to Quantify Small-Molecule Transport.
4 affiliations
- 1University of Cagliari , Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, Monserrato, CagliariI-09042, Italy.
- 2University of Cagliari , Department of Life and Environmental Sciences - Section of Drug Sciences, Monserrato, CagliariI-09042, Italy.
- 3University of Cagliari , Department of Physics, Monserrato, CagliariI-09042, Italy.
- 4Université Paris-Saclay, Université Evry, CY Cergy Paris Université, CNRS, LAMBE, Evry-Courcouronnes, 91025, France.
Abstract
Lipid membrane permeability is fundamental for cellular homeostasis, signaling, and drug transport. Experimental methods exist to characterize it, from cell-based assays to more reproducible artificial, filter-supported systems. Although they closely mimic physiological environments, these assays pose challenges for quantitative analysis. Simpler models, such as supported lipid bilayers and liposomes, offer better control of experimental variables and membrane composition, making them suitable for detailed physicochemical investigations. The dynamic response of unilamellar lipid vesicles to osmotic pressure can be monitored via fluorescence spectroscopy, exploiting specific fluorophores, or label-free, by light scattering, which are among the most commonly used techniques. Proper analysis of the results allows the determination of permeant species' permeability coefficients. A numerical algorithm was developed to simulate label-free liposome swelling/shrinking assays by explicitly considering the permeant's water/membrane partition equilibrium and diffusion through the lipid membrane, besides the elastic properties of the latter. Optical density kinetics were collected for gradients of potassium chloride and a series of molecules with different permeability coefficients. The simulation code (adaptable also to fluorescence data) was iteratively coupled to a least-squares curve-fitting script to retrieve the permeability coefficient. The algorithm proved reliable, yielding results consistent with the literature. It represents both an analysis method and a useful screening tool, as shown by a series of numerical experiments. The study demonstrated a remarkable difference in sensitivity between swelling and shrinking directions. Although foreseen by theory, this system response asymmetry is not always included in other models, whereas it can make a great difference and must be considered when setting up experiments.
Related
- Longitudinally Monitoring Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis and Treatment Response via Circulating Extracellular Vesicles
- Extracellular vesicles from Cutibacterium acnes phylotypes IA1, IB, II and III, which contain glucoglycerolipids, are not cytotoxic but induce a strong pro-inflammatory response in human prostate epithelial and fibroblast cells
- Multiphysics Simulation Framework for Continuous Ion Transport and Energetics in Atmospheric Pressure Interfaces
- The Use of TF-Ag-α to Selectively Capture Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles and Enhance the Predictive Performance of Extracellular Vesicle PD-L1 for Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
- Unliganded Active State of the β2-Adrenergic Receptor Revealed by Pressure-Resolved DEER and ProGuide Molecular Modeling
BibTeX
@article{boi2026modeling,
title = {{Modeling Lipid Vesicles' Dynamic Response to Osmotic Pressure to Quantify Small-Molecule Transport.}},
author = {Sara Boi and Tiziana Podda and Alessandra Murroni and Stefan Milenkovic and Matteo Ceccarelli and Mariano Andrea Scorciapino},
journal = {Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.6c02777},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42918177},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Modeling Lipid Vesicles' Dynamic Response to Osmotic Pressure to Quantify Small-Molecule Transport.
AU - Sara Boi
AU - Tiziana Podda
AU - Alessandra Murroni
AU - Stefan Milenkovic
AU - Matteo Ceccarelli
AU - Mariano Andrea Scorciapino
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
DO - 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6c02777
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42918177
AB - Lipid membrane permeability is fundamental for cellular homeostasis, signaling, and drug transport. Experimental methods exist to characterize it, from cell-based assays to more reproducible artificial, filter-supported systems. Although they closely mimic physiological environments, these assays pose challenges for quantitative analysis. Simpler models, such as supported lipid bilayers and liposomes, offer better control of experimental variables and membrane composition, making them suitable for detailed physicochemical investigations. The dynamic response of unilamellar lipid vesicles to osmotic pressure can be monitored via fluorescence spectroscopy, exploiting specific fluorophores, or label-free, by light scattering, which are among the most commonly used techniques. Proper analysis of the results allows the determination of permeant species' permeability coefficients. A numerical algorithm was developed to simulate label-free liposome swelling/shrinking assays by explicitly considering the permeant's water/membrane partition equilibrium and diffusion through the lipid membrane, besides the elastic properties of the latter. Optical density kinetics were collected for gradients of potassium chloride and a series of molecules with different permeability coefficients. The simulation code (adaptable also to fluorescence data) was iteratively coupled to a least-squares curve-fitting script to retrieve the permeability coefficient. The algorithm proved reliable, yielding results consistent with the literature. It represents both an analysis method and a useful screening tool, as shown by a series of numerical experiments. The study demonstrated a remarkable difference in sensitivity between swelling and shrinking directions. Although foreseen by theory, this system response asymmetry is not always included in other models, whereas it can make a great difference and must be considered when setting up experiments.
SN - 0743-7463
SN - 1520-5827
ER -