Suppression of Liver Fibrogenesis with Photothermal Sorafenib Nanovesicles via Selectively Inhibiting Glycolysis and Amplification of Active HSCs

As the major driving factor of hepatic fibrosis, the activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) rely on active glycolysis to support their aberrant proliferation and secretion of the extracellular matrix. Sorafenib (Sor) can combat liver fibrosis by suppressing HIF-1α and glycolysis, but its poor solubility, rapid metabolism, and low bioavailability restrict such a clinical application. Here, Sor was loaded onto polydopamine nanoparticles and then encapsulated by a retinoid-decorated red blood cell membrane, yielding HSC-targeted Sor nanovesicles (PDA/Sor@RMV-VA) with a high Sor-loading capacity and photothermally controlled drug release for antifibrotic treatment. These Sor RMVs not only exhibited a good particle size, dispersity and biocompatibility, prolonged circulation time, enhanced aHSC targetability, and hepatic accumulation both in vitro and in vivo, but also displayed a mild photothermal activity proper for promoting sorafenib release and accumulation in CCl₄-induced fibrotic mouse livers without incurring phototoxicity. Compared with nontargeting Sor formulations, PDA/Sor@RMV-VA more effectively downregulated HIF-1α and glycolytic enzyme in both cultured aHSCs and fibrotic mice and reversed myofibroblast phenotype and amplification of aHSCs and thus more significantly improved liver damage, inflammation, and fibrosis, all of which could be even further advanced with NIR irradiation. These results fully demonstrate the antifibrotic power and therapeutic potential of PDA/Sor@RMV-VA as an antifibrotic nanomedicine, which would support a new clinical treatment for hepatic fibrosis.