Armillotta MG, Lizzi L, Massimi M. Nanoparticle-based systems for liver therapy: Overcoming fibrosis and enhancing drug efficacy. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(10): 108810 [PMID: 41179719 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i10.108810]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Mara Massimi, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, L'Aquila 67100, AQ, Italy. mara.massimi@univaq.it
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Share the Article
Armillotta MG, Lizzi L, Massimi M. Nanoparticle-based systems for liver therapy: Overcoming fibrosis and enhancing drug efficacy. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(10): 108810 [PMID: 41179719 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i10.108810]
World J Hepatol. Oct 27, 2025; 17(10): 108810 Published online Oct 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i10.108810
Nanoparticle-based systems for liver therapy: Overcoming fibrosis and enhancing drug efficacy
Maria Giovanna Armillotta, Lara Lizzi, Mara Massimi
Maria Giovanna Armillotta, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia 71121, FG, Italy
Lara Lizzi, Mara Massimi, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila 67100, AQ, Italy
Co-first authors: Maria Giovanna Armillotta and Lara Lizzi.
Author contributions: Armillotta MG, Lizzi L, and Massimi M were responsible for the conceptualization of the study; Armillotta MG and Lizzi L were responsible for writing the original draft of the manuscript; Lizzi L and Massimi M were responsible for reviewing and editing the paper; Lizzi L was responsible for preparing the tables and images; All authors reviewed the paper and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Armillotta MG and Lizzi L contributed equally to this study as co-first authors.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Corresponding author: Mara Massimi, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, L'Aquila 67100, AQ, Italy. mara.massimi@univaq.it
Received: April 24, 2025 Revised: June 17, 2025 Accepted: August 25, 2025 Published online: October 27, 2025 Processing time: 187 Days and 0.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Liver diseases, including fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, represent major global health challenges with limited treatment options, partly due to drug delivery barriers. Therapeutic efficacy is hindered by factors such as portal hypertension, vascular alterations, and particularly the fibrotic microenvironment. This review summarizes the latest advances in nanoparticle (NP)-based delivery strategies targeting liver fibrosis, focusing on lipid-based, polymeric, and inorganic NPs. It also explores emerging combinatorial technologies including gene delivery platforms and ultrasound-assisted microbubble systems. Finally, it briefly integrates toxicity issues, translational considerations, and artificial intelligence-guided NPs to provide a comprehensive yet focused overview of promising therapeutic avenues.
