Thermosensitive nanogel: An embolic agent for durable and conformal embolization in transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma

Embolic agents play a vital role in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and continuous advancements in embolic materials have significantly improved clinical outcomes. Embogel, a thermosensitive embolic agent, undergoes a temperature-induced phase transition from a liquid gel ex vivo to a solid gel upon injection into the tumor vasculature. The three-dimensional gel network of Embogel facilitated the incorporation and sustained release of multiple chemotherapeutic agents. Furthermore, Embogel is radiopaque, allowing improved visualization under X-ray imaging and thereby minimizing the risk of ectopic embolization. In an initial clinical study involving 10 patients with intermediate-to-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, Embogel-TACE achieved durable and conformal embolization of small and large tumor vessels. One month after treatment, the disease control rate reached 90 %, with an objective response rate of 40 %. Notably, the procedure has been reported to be painless with minimal postoperative discomfort. These findings highlight the potential of Embogel in optimizing TACE for hepatocellular carcinoma.