Dual-ligand-modified cantharidin nanoparticles for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma via the inhibition of Ephb4 - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #Cancer Therapy
- #Drug Delivery
- #Nanotechnology
- Dual-ligand-modified cantharidin nanoparticles (GA-FA-CSLNs) were developed to enhance targeted treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- The nanoparticles use glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) for liver targeting and folate-PEG3500-DSPE (FA) for prolonged circulation to improve specificity and reduce toxicity.
- In vitro studies demonstrated increased cellular uptake, lower IC50, and induced apoptosis (43.2%) in Huh-7 liver cancer cells.
- Mechanistically, GA-FA-CSLNs inhibit the EphB4 pathway, downregulating EphB4 and Bcl-2 while upregulating caspase-3 and Bax.
- In vivo results showed a 58.67% tumor inhibition rate, outperforming free cantharidin and sorafenib, with high survival and minimal toxicity.
- Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed extended elimination half-life (2.54 hours) and a 3.2-fold increase in area under the curve compared to unmodified nanoparticles.