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The complementary coiled coil forming peptides E₄ [(EIAALEK)₄] and K₄ [(KIAALKE)₄] are known to trigger liposomal membrane fusion when tethered to lipid vesicles in the form of lipopeptides. In this study, we examined whether these coiled coil forming peptides can be used for drug delivery applications. First, we prepared E₄ peptide modified liposomes containing the far-red fluorescent dye TO-PRO-3 iodide (E₄-Lipo-TP3) and confirmed that E₄-liposomes could deliver TP3 into HeLa cells expressing K₄ peptide on the membrane (HeLa-K) under cell culture conditions in a selective manner. Next, we prepared doxorubicin-containing E₄-liposomes (E₄-Lipo-DOX) and confirmed that E₄-liposomes could also deliver DOX into HeLa-K cells. Moreover, E₄-Lipo-DOX showed enhanced cytotoxicity toward HeLa-K cells compared to free doxorubicin. To prove the suitability of E₄/K₄ coiled coil formation for in vivo drug …