Engineering nanotheranostic strategies for liver cancer

Abstract

The incidence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma have continued to increase over the last few years, and the medicine-based outlook of patients is poor. Given great ideas from the development of nanotechnology in medicine, especially the advantages in the treatments of liver cancer. Some engineering nanoparticles with active targeting, ligand modification, and passive targeting capacity achieve efficient drug delivery to tumor cells. In addition, the behavior of drug release is also applied to the drug loading nanosystem based on the tumor microenvironment. Considering clinical use of local treatment of liver cancer, in situ drug delivery of nanogels is also fully studied in orthotopic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and ablation therapy. Furthermore, novel therapies including gene therapy, phototherapy, and immunotherapy are also applied as combined therapy for liver cancer. Engineering nonviral polymers to function as gene delivery vectors with increased efficiency and specificity, and strategies of co-delivery of therapeutic genes and drugs show great therapeutic effect against liver tumors, including drug-resistant tumors. Phototherapy is also applied in surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Combination strategies significantly enhance therapeutic effects and decrease side effects. Overall, the application of nanotechnology could bring a revolutionary change to the current treatment of liver cancer.

Scoparone inhibits the growth of liver cancer cells by regulating MAPK signaling pathway

“…For malignant tumors occurring in the liver [3], the initial symptoms are not obvious, but late symptoms are mainly liver pain, fatigue, emaciation, jaundice, ascites and other symptoms [16]. Clinically advanced cases of these patients have a low cure rate due to the spread of cancer cells, hence early diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer should be achieved [4]. To improve the survival rate of patients, it is still necessary to conduct in-depth research on the pathogenesis of liver cancer, to identify the key regulatory proteins and screen out effective therapeutic drugs [4].…”

“…Clinically advanced cases of these patients have a low cure rate due to the spread of cancer cells, hence early diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer should be achieved [4]. To improve the survival rate of patients, it is still necessary to conduct in-depth research on the pathogenesis of liver cancer, to identify the key regulatory proteins and screen out effective therapeutic drugs [4].…”

“…Patients diagnosed with liver cancer at the late stage have a poor prognosis and low survival rate [3]. Although there are many treatments available such as natural compounds, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and combination therapy, the incidence and mortality rate remain high [4]. Recently, a targeted therapy for this cancer has been widely reported [5].…”

Interventional nanotheranostics in hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Throughout the formulation process and until the final product, the structural, physical, and chemical characteristics of integrated NPs must be maintained because numerous factors can affect manufacturing, for example, nanomaterial storage temperature, pH, humidity, stability, sterile condition, and other processing methods including proper solvent selection and method of preparation. Therefore, full care should be taken to make efficient and affordable NPs products 38 , 45 , 49 . Despite all these hurdles, NPs research is continuously raising especially in tumor treatment and if scientists will overcome these problems, NPs therapy can be used as a standard and promising to decrease the mortality rate of cancer.…”

“…Various NPs such as metallic NPs, magnetic NPs, or nanotubes are used to detect targets like antibodies, proteins, enzymes, etc. 44 , 45 . Drug development is a time-consuming, expensive endeavour that calls for multidisciplinary skills 46 .…”