Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 17, 2025
Solid Lipid Nanoparticles SLNs for Intracellular Targeting Applications
Published on: November 17, 2015
Lipid-based nanoparticle technologies for liver targeting
Roland Böttger1, Griffin Pauli1, Po-Han Chao1
1Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2405 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Abstract:
Liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma are global health problems accounting for approximately 800 million cases and over 2 million deaths per year worldwide. Major drawbacks of standard pharmacological therapies are the inability to deliver a sufficient concentration of a therapeutic agent to the diseased liver, and nonspecific drug delivery leading to undesirable systemic side effects. Additionally, depending on the specific liver disease, drug delivery to a subset of liver cells is required. In recent years, lipid nanoparticles have been developed to passively and actively target drugs to the liver. The success of this approach has been highlighted by the FDA-approval of the first liver-targeting lipid nanoparticle, ONPATTRO, in 2018 and many other promising candidate technologies are expected to follow. This review summarizes recent developments of various lipid-based liver-targeting technologies, namely solid-lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes and micelles, and discusses the challenges and future perspectives in this field.
Insights
Lipid nanoparticles offer improved liver drug delivery, overcoming limitations of traditional therapies for liver diseases like hepatitis and cirrhosis. This review explores advancements in lipid-based nanoparticles for targeted liver treatments.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology and Nanomedicine
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Liver diseases pose a significant global health burden, causing millions of deaths annually.
- Current pharmacological treatments for liver conditions suffer from poor drug concentration at the target site and systemic side effects.
- Targeted delivery to specific liver cells is often necessary for effective treatment of various liver diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in lipid-based nanoparticles for liver-targeting drug delivery.
- To discuss various lipid nanoparticle formulations, including solid-lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, and micelles.
- To highlight challenges and future prospects in the field of liver-targeted nanomedicine.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent developments in lipid-based liver-targeting technologies.
- Analysis of nanoparticle formulations such as solid-lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, and micelles.
- Discussion of passive and active targeting strategies for drug delivery to the liver.
Main Results:
- Lipid nanoparticles demonstrate significant potential for both passive and active targeting of drugs to the liver.
- The FDA approval of ONPATTRO signifies a breakthrough in liver-targeting lipid nanoparticle technology.
- Numerous promising lipid-based nanocarrier technologies are emerging for liver disease treatment.
Conclusions:
- Lipid nanoparticles represent a promising strategy to enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce side effects in liver disease treatment.
- Continued research and development in lipid-based nanocarriers are crucial for addressing unmet needs in hepatology.
- The field anticipates further innovations and clinical translation of liver-targeting nanomedicines.
