Cholinized-Polymer Functionalized Lipid-Based Drug Carriers Facilitate Liver Fibrosis Therapy via Ultrafast Liver-Targeting Delivery

Biomacromolecules. 2024 Oct 14;25(10):6526-6538. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00691. Epub 2024 Aug 30.

Abstract

Here, we report novel cholinized-polymer functionalized lipid-based nanoparticles (CP-LNPs) for rapid and highly effective delivery of drugs to the liver, achieving targeting within 10 min and nearly 100% efficiency. In this study, CP-LNPs loaded with a promising antifibrotic agent curcumin (CP-LNPs/Cur) significantly improved the stability of curcumin under physiological conditions and its distribution in the liver. In vitro experiments demonstrated that CP-LNPs/Cur effectively suppressed the proliferation and migration of activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs), as evidenced by the decreased expression of α-SMA. Moreover, CP-LNPs/Cur attenuated oxidative stress levels in hepatocytes while improving mitochondrial physiological activity. In vivo antifibrosis studies have shown that CP-LNPs/Cur only require a low dose to significantly alleviate liver injury and collagen deposition, thereby preventing the progression of liver fibrosis. These findings indicated that CP-LNPs exhibit great potential in liver fibrosis therapy benefiting from the novel targeting strategy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Curcumin* / administration & dosage
  • Curcumin* / chemistry
  • Curcumin* / pharmacology
  • Drug Carriers* / chemistry
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods
  • Hepatic Stellate Cells* / drug effects
  • Hepatic Stellate Cells* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lipids / chemistry
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / drug therapy
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Nanoparticles* / chemistry
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Polymers* / chemistry

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Curcumin
  • Polymers
  • Lipids