Thermoresponsive hydrogel for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is one of the most commonly used treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the poor stability of emulsified chemotherapy drugs by iodinated oil always leads to serious systemic cytotoxicity. Herein, a composite hydrogel Epi/Etpoil@MC/XG was proposed by stably distributing ethiodized poppyseed oil (Etpoil) and epirubicin (Epi) in the blend hydrogel of methylcellulose (MC) and xanthan gum (XG). Benefiting from its adjusted thermo-responsive and injectable properties, the Epi/Etpoil@MC/XG has been successfully applied in the embolization of the feeding artery for a VX2 tumor model.