Drug Delivery and Translational Research - Featured Article: May 2022

Read the featured article from the May 2022 issue! (this opens in a new tab)

Summary: This study compared drug delivery, pharmacokinetics, and treatment response after doxorubicin (DOX) conventional (c-) versus drug-eluting embolic (DEE-) transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model. Twenty-four liver tumors underwent c-TACE (n=12) or DEE-TACE (n=12). Systemic, intra-tumoral, and liver DOX levels were measured using mass spectrometry. Intra-tumoral DOX was quantified using fluorescence imaging. Percent tumor necrosis was assessed. Peak DOX concentration (µg/mL) for plasma, tumor, and liver were 0.666, 4.232, 0.270 for c-TACE, versus 0.103, 8.988, 0.610 for DEE-TACE. Area under the concentration versus time curve (µg/mL*min) for plasma, tumor tissue, and liver were 18.3, 27,078.8, 1,339.1 for c-TACE versus 16.4, 26,204.8, 1,969.6 for DEE-TACE. c-TACE achieved higher DOX coverage of tumor vs. DEE-TACE (10.8% vs. 2.3%; P=0.003). Percent tumor necrosis was similar (39% vs. 37%; P=0.806). In conclusion, in a preclinical model, both c-TACE and DEE-TACE achieved tumoricidal intra-tumoral DOX levels, though c-TACE resulted in greater tumor coverage.

The Editorial Board of DDTR selected this article as the best paper of this issue.