Fabrication of freezed-dried docetaxel liposomal powders through a microfluidic technology with enhanced blood circulation and antitumor efficacy

The industrial scalability and clinical translation of liposomal formulations are significantly hindered by challenges in stability and batch-to-batch variability. To address these limitations, docetaxel (DTX)-loaded long-circulating liposomal freeze-dried powders were engineered via a synergistic integration of microfluidic technology and lyophilization, optimized through an orthogonal experimental design focusing on particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and entrapment efficiency (EE). The optimized formulation, incorporating hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as a lyoprotectant, demonstrated nanoscale particle diameter (∼120 nm), monodisperse distribution (PDI < 0.2), and elevated EE (>90 %), with physicochemical integrity preserved post-lyophilization. Reconstituted DTX liposomes (DTX-Lip) exhibited pH-dependent sustained release kinetics, with enhanced drug elution at acidic pH (5.5) versus physiological pH (7.4). Solid-state characterization (XRD, FT-IR, DSC) confirmed molecular interactions between DTX and lipid-excipient matrices. In vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed superior apoptotic induction in A549 human lung carcinoma cells by DTX-Lip compared to free DTX solution (DTX-Sol). Pharmacokinetic profiling in vivo demonstrated prolonged systemic circulation of DTX-Lip, marked by significantly elevated area under the curve (AUC 0-∞ ), maximum drug concentration (C max ), mean retention time (MRT 0-∞ ), longer half-life (T 1/2 ), lower clearance (CL) and steady-state volume of distribution (V ss ) relative to DTX-Sol (p < 0.05). In a C57BL/6 murine lung cancer model, DTX-Lip elicited significant tumor suppression (p < 0.05) without mortality, underscoring enhanced therapeutic efficacy and mitigated systemic toxicity. Collectively, the engineered DTX-Lip system combines optimal nano-pharmaceutical attributes (size, homogeneity, EE), controlled release, and favorable in vitro-in vivo performance, offering a robust platform for industrial-scale production of stable, efficacious liposomal DTX formulations. These findings advance translational strategies for liposome-based chemotherapeutics with improved reproducibility and clinical safety.