Preclinical efficacy and mechanisms of statin-loaded polymeric nanocapsules: a meta-analysis of tumor lipid metabolism inhibition

作者：Chao Lv, Hongmei He, Aolin Li, Xiaohong Han, Renyang Xiang, Xintao Zhang, Lin Yao · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s41598-025-22302-w · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism、Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health、Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

Lipid metabolism plays a pivotal role in tumor growth and survival, with altered lipid pathways being associated with cancer progression. Statins, well-known for their cholesterol-lowering properties, have emerged as potential anticancer agents by targeting lipid metabolism in tumors. However, their clinical use is limited due to low bioavailability and stability. Encapsulating statins in polymeric nanocapsules has been suggested to overcome these limitations and enhance therapeutic efficacy. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis compiled data from 22 preclinical studies involving 127 animals to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of statin-loaded polymeric nanocapsules. The meta-analysis assessed tumor growth inhibition, tumor weight reduction, and the overall effect size of these nanocapsules compared to non-encapsulated statins. Statistical methods were used to compute Standard Mean Differences (SMD) and evaluate heterogeneity. RESULTS: The meta-analysis showed that statin-loaded polymeric nanocapsules significantly inhibited tumor growth (SMD -1.79; 95% CI -2.21 to -1.38; p < 0.00001) and reduced tumor weight (SMD -3.53; 95% CI -4.75 to -2.31; p < 0.0001) across various solid tumor models. Risk of bias assessments indicated moderate to high variability in the quality of the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: Statin-loaded polymeric nanocapsules significantly enhance the antitumor efficacy of statins by improving their bioavailability and stability. These findings high...