Nanoparticle–liver interactions: cellular uptake and hepatobiliary elimination

Yi-Nan Zhang, Wilson Poon, Anthony J Tavares, Ian D McGilvray, Warren CW Chan

Journal of Controlled Release, Volume 240, 28 October 2016, Pages 332-348 | DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.01.020

Abstract

30–99% of administered nanoparticles will accumulate and sequester in the liver after administration into the body. This results in reduced delivery to the targeted diseased tissue and potentially leads to increased toxicity at the hepatic cellular level. This review article focuses on the inter- and intra-cellular interaction between nanoparticles and hepatic cells, the elimination mechanism of nanoparticles through the hepatobiliary system, and current strategies to manipulate liver sequestration. The ability to solve the “nanoparticle-liver” interaction is critical to the clinical translation of nanotechnology for diagnosing and treating cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and other diseases.