Capillary microfluidics-derived doxorubicin-containing human serum albumin microbeads for transarterial chemoembolization of hepatic cancer

In this study, we prepared doxorubicin (DOXO)-loaded albumin microbeads (DOXO-MBs) using a capillary microfluidic device for transarterial chemoembolization of hepatic cancer. Albumin droplets were fabricated using the capillary microfluidic device and solidified by addition of glutaraldehyde. The acquired DOXO-MBs were homogeneous and the size was adjustable from 183.2 ± 12.2 μm to 351.5 ± 7.9 μm by changing the flow rate of fluidic solutions. The loading amount of DOXO was 9.7 ± 1.5 mg/g, and over 15.7% of DOXO was released over one month in pH 7.2 buffer. Intra-portal injection of DOXO-MBs on normal liver of rats proved microbeads efficiently embolized hepatic vessels. Hepatic lobes, recovered 24 days after intra-portal injection, showed that the DOXO-MBs remained in hepatic vessels and released DOXO to surrounding hepatic tissues. In the hepatic tumor xenograft mouse model, DOXO-MBs inhibited tumor growth more efficiently than intravenous (I.V.) injection of free DOXO (p < 0.01).