Patent ID: 8535712

Claim:
A method of enhancing ionizing radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer in a human patient comprising: administering to the patient an ionizing radiation sensitive liposome that is unpolymerized at room temperature, the liposome comprising a stable liposome forming lipid and a polymerizable colipid produced by the method of: (i) selecting a stable liposome-forming lipid or lipids, and an ionizing radiation polymerizable colipid or colipids, wherein said polymerizable colipid comprises a polymerizable group selected from the group consisting of diacetylenyl, acryloyl, methacryloyl, dienoyl, dienyl, sorbyl, muconyl, styryl, vinyl, and lipoyl; (ii) drying the lipids and colipids that comprise the liposome; (iii) hydrating the lipids and colipids with a buffer comprising releasable agents to be encapsulated or associated in a desired molar ratio to form liposomes at a temperature which enables the colipids to cluster in discrete domains in said liposomes; and purifying the liposomes to yield an administrable agent comprising a radiation sensitizer or radiopharmaceutical; wherein after administration to the patient the colipids in the liposomes remain clustered in discrete domains and at least a fraction of the polymerizable colipid polymerizes upon exposure to the ionizing radiation; and administering the ionizing radiation therapy to target at least one tumor site of the patient; thereby destabilizing the membrane of the liposome; and releasing the administrable agent at the targeted site(s), whereby the ionizing radiation therapy is enhanced.