A therapeutic strategy integrating ultrasound-guided microwave ablation with nanocomposite hydrogels to enhance autophagy and suppress tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma

作者：Yi Duan, Yi Duan, Li Ding, Xianwei Meng, Jiangtao Lin, Hao Fu, Yan Zhu, Yijie Qiu, Jiaying Cao, Jian Hu, Yi Dong, Yourong Duan, Yourong Duan, Jianhua Chen · 发表于：Acta Biomaterialia · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.actbio.2025.04.032 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Prognosis、MicroRNA in disease regulation、Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Disease

NPs) encapsulated within an injectable thermoresponsive hydrogel (ANPs-Gel). This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of MWA combined with ANPs-Gel in a rabbit hepatic VX2 tumor model. Ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) were employed to assess tumor response and angiogenesis following treatment. The results demonstrated that MWA combined with ANPs-Gel significantly enhanced antitumor efficacy compared to other treatments, effectively inhibiting tumor growth and angiogenesis. Mechanistically, the therapeutic effects were associated with autophagy induced by MWA+ANPs-Gel, which played a critical role in promoting tumor cell death and suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo experiments further highlighted that the injectable thermoresponsive hydrogel system not only prolonged drug retention at the tumor site but also enhanced therapeutic efficacy by reducing EMT and preventing tumor recurrence. These findings suggest that MWA combined with ANPs-Gel provides a promising strategy for improving treatment outcomes in HCC through ultrasound-guided chemotherapy and targeted autophagy modulation. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study introduces a potent therapeutic strategy that integrates ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) with a nanocomposite hydrogel to enhance autophagy and suppress tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma, as demonstrated in the rabbit VX2 hepatic tumor model. By combining advanced ul...