Lipid Nanoparticles as Versatile Delivery Systems for Chemotherapeutics, Phytochemicals, siRNA, and microRNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Narrative Review

چکیده

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite advances in drug therapies, the efficacy of many anticancer drugs is limited by inadequate targeting, systemic toxicity, and the development of drug resistance. In recent years, lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs), including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), have attracted attention as biocompatible and flexible delivery systems for therapeutic compounds. These nanocarriers, which can load a diverse range of compounds and nucleic acids, can improve the stability, bioavailability, and targeted delivery of therapeutic cargoes. This review summarizes the available evidence on the use of LNPs for the delivery of four major classes of anti-HCC therapeutic agents, including chemical drugs such as sorafenib and doxorubicin, plant phytochemicals such as curcumin, resveratrol, and celastrol, siRNA, and microRNA. It also examines the targeting and multiple delivery strategies for these agents and their role in enhancing treatment efficacy and overcoming drug resistance. Overall, preclinical evidence suggests that LNPs may have significant potential for the development of targeted and multimodal therapies in HCC by improving the delivery and accumulation of therapeutic agents in tumor tissue; however, challenges such as long-term safety, scalability of production, and efficiency of nucleic acid delivery still require further investigation.