Diagnostic imaging and therapeutic application of nanoparticles targeting the liver

Abstract

Liver diseases, particularly viral hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, are common in clinical practice with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Many substances for diagnostic imaging and therapy of liver diseases may have either severe adverse effects or insufficient effectiveness in vivo due to the nonspecific uptake. Therefore, by targeting delivery of drugs into the liver or specific liver cells, the 10 drug efficiency may be largely improved. This review summarizes the up-to-date research progress focusing on nanoparticles targeting to the liver for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Targeting strategies, mechanisms of enhanced effects, and clinical applications of nanoparticles are discussed specifically. We believe that new targeting nanotechnology such as nanoprobes for multi-modality imaging and multifunctional nanoparticles would facilitate significant advancements in this research-15 active area in the near future. 65 blood circulation, and multidrug resistance associated with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. 4 In liver specific applications, four main types of nanoparticles have been examined: polymers, lipid-based nanoparticles, metal complex and bio-nanocapsules. 4 The 70 applications of nanotechnology in hepatology have been discussed in several review articles. These papers focused on specific nanoparticles such as nano-vectors, 11 bio-nanocapsules, 12 polymers or lipid-based nanoparticles, 4 and just provided a general description of different drugs targeting to the liver 5, 13 or 75 nanotechnology in liver diseases. 6, 14 Although numerous targeting approaches have been proposed, the effect of nanoparticle properties on their disposal by the body at the organ

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“…Hepatocytes make up 70–85% of the liver's cell population. They are the key functional liver cells with important roles in metabolic, secretory and endocrine functions . Kupffer cells, another type of liver cells, are specialized macrophages in the liver located on the walls of the liver sinusoids .…”

“…A: Hepatic artery; P: Portal vein; V: Hepatic veins; H: Hepatocyte; E: Endothelial cell; S: Sinusoid; K: Kupffer cell; D: Space of Disse; HSC: Hepatic stellate cell (arrow). Reproduced with permission . 2015, The Royal Society of Chemistry.…”