Therapeutic and scintigraphic applications of polymeric micelles: combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

This study evaluated a multifunctional micelle simultaneously loaded with doxorubicin (Dox) and labeled with radionuclide rhenium-188 (Re-188) as a combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. We investigated the single photon emission computed tomography, biodistribution, antitumor efficacy, and pathology of Re-188-Dox micelles in a murine orthotopic luciferase-transfected BNL tumor cells hepatocellular carcinoma model. The single photon emission computed tomography and computed tomography images showed high radioactivity in the liver and tumor, which was in agreement with the biodistribution measured by gamma-counting. In vivo bioluminescence images showed the smallest size tumor (P<0.05) in mice treated with the combined micelles throughout the experimental period. In addition, the combined Re-188-Dox micelles group had significantly longer survival compared with the control, (ReO4)-Re-188 alone (P<0.005), and Dox micelles alone (P<0.01) groups. Pathohistological analysis revealed that tumors treated with Re-188-Dox micelles had more necrotic features and decreased cell proliferation. Therefore, Re-188-Dox micelles may enable combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy to maximize the effectiveness of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.