Macrophagedepletionkitsarecomposedoftwovials;onevialofClodrosome®(Clodronateliposomes)andonevialofEncapsome®(controlliposomescontainingnodrug).Thevolumeofthemacrophagedepletionkitrepresentsthevolumeofeachreagentindividually.Forexample,5mlofmacrophagedepletionkitmeans5mlofClodrosome®and5mlofEncapsome®.Eachreagentinthekitcanalsobepurchasedindividually.

Clodrosome®isamultilamellarliposomesUSPensioninwhichclodronateisencapsulatedintheaqueouscompartmentsoftheliposomes.Encapsome®isformulatedandpreparedidenticallytoClodrosome®exceptthatclodronateisnotaddedtotheliposomes.Theliposomesarefilteredthrough2μmpolycarbonatemembranestoensurethatlargerparticles,whichmaybetoxictoanimals,areremovedfromthesuspension.Botharepreparedandpackagedundersterileconditions.WhenanimalsorcellsaretreatedwithClodrosome®,phagocyticcellsrecognizetheliposomesasinvADIngforeignparticlesandproceedtoremovetheliposomesfromthelocaltissueorserumviaphagocytosis.Theliposomesthenreleaseclodronateintothecytosolresultingincelldeath.Non-encapsulatedclodronatecannotcrossthecellmembranetoinitiatecelldeath.

Controlliposomes(Encapsome®)arerecognizedandphagocytosedbythesamemechanismasClodrosome®.Sincethecontrolliposomesdonotcontainclodronate,thephagocyticcellsarenotkilled.However,phagocytesdorespondtotheingestionofcontrolliposomesbycytokinesecretion,temporarysuspensionofphagocyticactivityandotherresponsesdescribedintheliterature.

m-Clodrosome®andm-Encapsome®aremannosylatedreagentsthatarespecificallyformulatedtoefficientlytargetthemacrophagesincentralnervoussystemsandmacrophagesthatcontainmoremannosereceptors.Formoreinformationaboutthesereagentseehere.

Fluorescentliposomes(Fluoroliposome®)suitableformacrophagetargetingandtrackingareavailable.Theycancontainfivedifferentfluorescentdyes(DiA,DiD,DiI,DiOandDiR),whichcoverstheentirespectrum.Fluorescentliposomescomeinstandardandmannosylatedform.Formoreinformationseehere.