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Targeting Liposomes For Liver Fibrosis

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Targeted Liposomes for Liver Fibrosis: In Vivo Liposome Delivery of siRNA to Stellate Cells to Silence TGF-B1 and VEGF Expression

Summary Over the last few decades, liver disease has become a growing burden in global health due to the limited efficacy of treatment and therapies for liver disease. One potential solution to the dilemma of curative treatment for liver disease is the emerging development and utilization of nanotechnology strategies for more effective liver disease diagnosis and therapy. This paper will propose using targeted liposomes as a system for delivering siRNA to hepatic stellate cells to impede and ultimately treat liver fibrosis.

The Growing Problem of Liver Cancer and Liver Fibrosis As the number of deaths from liver cancer are increasing worldwide, it is becoming more crucial to develop efficient and effective ways to combat liver cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer and it is often usually caused by severe chronic liver injury acquired through the progression of certain liver diseases such as hepatitis B and C, alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Although the etiology of liver cancer varies worldwide depending on geographic location, a commonality that they share is that if left untreated they often lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is distinguished by a reduction in the proliferation of hepatocytes, which significantly effects the replicative capacity of hepatocytes

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