A wogonin-loaded glycyrrhetinic acid-modified liposome for hepatic targeting with anti-tumor effects

Liver cancer has become one of the most common fatal cancers worldwide, with morbidity rates increasing each year. Wogonin (WG) is an attractive candidate for the development of new anti-cancer drugs. In this study, a novel glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)-modified WG liposome was developed for use in targeted anti-cancer therapy. Three types of WG preparations were investigated: free wogonin in solution (WG), passively targeted wogonin liposomes (WG-Lip) and GA-modified wogonin liposomes (GA-WG-Lip). The entrapment efficiency, size and zeta potential were measured. Cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, in vivo bio-distribution and anti-tumor efficacy were also investigated. Addition of GA to the liposomes did not diminish the high entrapment efficiency observed in the liposomes without GA. GA-WG-Lip showed the greatest uptake and had an IC50 value 1.46 times higher than that of WG-Lip. The GA-modified liposomes rapidly accumulated in the liver with a long retention time, and also displayed a better tumor inhibitory ratio than that of the unmodified liposomes. Overall, the data indicated that use of the GA-modified WG liposomes conferred improvements in bio-distribution, accumulation at the tumor and therapeutic efficacy, perhaps due to increased receptor-mediated uptake of liposomes by liver-targeted cells. Together, these data show that GA-WG-Lip is a promising means of targeted therapy for liver cancer.