Sono-blasting Triggered Cascading-Amplification of Oxidative Stress for Enhanced Interventional Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Dong Li, Kexin Zhang, Kaiyang Wang, Renmiao Peng, Xijian Liu, Yamei Miao, Yuanpei Lan, Ruizhi Wang, Lile Dong, Yu Luo
Abstract
Interventional therapy is widely regarded as a highly promising treatment approach for nonsurgical liver cancer. However, the development of drug resistance and tolerance to hypoxic environments after embolization can lead to increased angiogenesis, enhanced tumor cell stemness, and greater invasiveness, resulting in metastasis and recurrence. To address these challenges, a novel approach involving the use of lecithin and DSPE-PEG comodified Ca 2+ loaded (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 8 (LDCNSO) drug in combination with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has been proposed. The sono-blasting effect of LDCNSO under ultrasound triggers a cascading amplification of oxidative stress, by releasing sulfate radical (·SO 4 – ), hydroxyl radical (·OH), and superoxide (·O 2 – ), inducing Ca 2+ overload, and reducing glutathione (GSH) levels, which eventually leads to apoptosis. LDCNSO alongside TAE has demonstrated remarkable therapeutic efficacy in the rabbit orthotopic cancer model, resulting in significant inhibition of tumor growth. This research provides valuable insights for the effective treatment of orthotopic tumors.