Conclusion
Incorporation of doxorubicin-loaded microbubble in the TACE formulation facilitated drug delivery to the tumor with real-time monitoring and enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of TACE. Thus, the enhanced TACE formulation may represent a new treatment strategy against liver cancer.
Methods
To overcome these limitations, a doxorubicin-loaded albumin nanoparticle-conjugated microbubble complex in an iodized oil emulsion (DOX-NPs-MB complex in Lipiodol) has been developed as a new ultrasound-triggered TACE formulation.
Results
(1) Microbubbles enhanced therapeutic efficacy by effectively delivering doxorubicin- loaded nanoparticles into liver tumors via sonoporation under ultrasound irradiation (US+). (2) Microbubbles constituting the complex retained their function as an ultrasound contrast agent in Lipiodol. In a rabbit VX2 liver cancer model, the in vivo study of DOX-NPs-MB complex in Lipiodol (US+) decreased the viability of tumor more than the conventional TACE formulation, and in particular, effectively killed cancer cells in the tumor periphery.