Optimizing trans-arterial drug delivery using mono-disperse emulsion

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common human cancer and is the 5th cause of mortality in men and the 7th in female. Surgical resection and tumor ablation (radiofrequency or microwave) are curative therapy; however, some patients are not indicated to these treatments, mainly due to large number or size of the lesions. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is a standard of care for these patients. In this treatment, mixture of various anticancer agent (Doxorubicin, Cisplatin, Miriplatin) and lipophilic contrast media (Lipiodol) is administered via catheter inserted into tumor feeding arteries, followed by embolization. Tumor control can be obtained in 50-90 % of the patients and there is a room for improvement. One major cause of poor tumor control is uneven large-sized emulsion droplets, which are now used in clinical practice. The aim of this project is to improve accumulation of anticancer agents/lipiodol in the tumor by using even small-sized emulsion (mono-dispersed emulsion) which is obtained by utilizing cutting-edge technology called ‘membrane emulsification’. The application can be also widened to metastatic liver cancer.