HCC Nanomedicine: PLGA Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Terms

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

The most common primary liver cancer, originating from hepatocytes.

Hepatocyte

The main functional liver cell, involved in metabolism, detoxification, and protein production.

Nanoparticle (NP)

A very small engineered particle used here as a therapeutic carrier.

PLGA

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), a biodegradable copolymer commonly investigated for controlled drug delivery.

Copolymer

A polymer made from two or more different repeating monomer units. PLGA contains lactic-acid- and glycolic-acid-derived units.

Biocompatibility

A material's ability to perform its intended function without causing an unacceptable biological response.

Biodegradability

The ability of a material to break down through biological or chemical processes.

Hydrolysis

The cleavage of chemical bonds by water. It's an important mechanism in PLGA degradation.

Payload

The therapeutic substance transported by a nanoparticle, such as a small molecule or RNA-based agent.

Encapsulation efficiency (EE%)

The fraction of initially added payload successfully incorporated into the nanoparticle formulation.

Drug loading

The amount of therapeutic payload relative to the mass of the final nanoparticle formulation. This is different from encapsulation efficiency.

Controlled release

Engineering how quickly a therapeutic substance leaves its carrier.

Targeting ligand

A molecule attached to a nanoparticle to promote interaction with a particular biological receptor.

Cell viability

A measurement of viable or metabolically active cells under specific experimental conditions.

Tumor reduction

A reported decrease in a tumor measurement, usually relative to a control or baseline specified by the original study.

Cytotoxicity

The capacity of a substance or treatment to damage or kill cells.

In vitro

Experiments conducted outside a living organism, such as with cultured cells.

In vivo

Experiments conducted in living organisms.

Biodistribution

Where a substance or nanoparticle travels and accumulates in the body.

Mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS)

Immune cells, including macrophages, that recognize and remove particles from circulation. Historically called the reticuloendothelial system.

Kupffer cells

Specialized macrophages located in the liver that can capture circulating nanoparticles.

Renal clearance

Elimination of substances through the kidneys. Efficient filtration of intact nanoparticles is generally associated with extremely small hydrodynamic diameters, often around a few nanometers.

Opsonization

Adsorption or binding of proteins that make a particle more recognizable to phagocytic cells.

Protein corona

A layer of proteins that can form around nanoparticles in biological fluids and change their interactions with cells.

PEGylation

Addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG), often used to change surface interactions and potentially reduce some forms of immune recognition.

Zeta potential

A measurement related to electrical potential near a particle's surface, used to assess surface properties and aspects of colloidal stability.

Polydispersity index (PDI)

An indicator of particle-size distribution breadth; a lower PDI generally indicates a narrower distribution for common DLS measurements.

Dynamic light scattering (DLS)

A method used to estimate the hydrodynamic size distribution of particles in suspension.

Endocytosis

A process by which cells take substances inside through membrane-bound vesicles.

Phagocytosis

A type of cellular engulfment performed by specialized cells such as macrophages.

EPR effect

Enhanced permeability and retention: a proposed passive tumor-accumulation mechanism related to abnormal tumor blood vessels and impaired drainage. It varies considerably between tumors.

Pharmacokinetics (PK)

What the body does to a therapeutic substance: distribution, metabolism, and elimination, among other processes.

Pharmacodynamics (PD)

What a therapeutic substance does biologically, including its effects on cells or tumors.

Tumor microenvironment (TME)

The cells, blood vessels, extracellular matrix, and signaling conditions surrounding a tumor.