الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract The mammalian liver is the largest, most strategically positioned, and most multifunctional internal organ, which makes it susceptible to infections, injuries, and disorders. Liver diseases are the fifth leading cause of mortality and are steadily getting worse. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the terminal stage of liver diseases that imposes a tremendous burden on society’s health. Many non-chemotherapeutic drugs have recently been investigated for their anti-cancer therapeutic effects. Telmisartan (TLM) is one of these drugs that has been reported to have potential applications in several liver diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and more interestingly, TLM has been reported to have anti-proliferative activity in HCC. TLM activates peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor gamma and, as a result, eases the growth arrest of malignant cells by apoptosis. However, TLM is a BCS class II drug, which has limited scope in drug delivery due to its poor bioavailability, poor aqueous solubility, and unpredictable biodistribution. Moreover, there are more complicated challenges regarding its application as an anti-cancer drug that also face the other chemotherapeutic drugs, including non-specific distribution, drug esistance, efflux proteins, and quick elimination by the reticuloendothelial system (RES). As a result, these issues necessitate a safe and efficient drug delivery system that targets the liver. |