A Biomimetic Bilirubin-Albumin Nanoplatform Enables OATP-Mediated Liver Targeting

Young Ju Jo – graduate student, Chungnam National University; Samuel Lee – graduate student, Chungnam National University; Ji Hyun Bang – graduate student, Chungnam National University; So Min Lim – graduate student, Chungnam National University; Sung-Ho Lee – graduate student, Chungnam National University; Young-Guk Na – Professor, Chungnam National University

Introduction:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality, with limited systemic treatment options for advanced disease [1]. Sorafenib (SFN), a first-line therapy for HCC, shows modest clinical benefit due to poor solubility, bioavailability, and tumor selectivity [2]. To overcome these limitations, we developed a biomimetic bilirubin-albumin (BAB) nanoplatform that exploits organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)-mediated hepatic uptake for liver-targeted drug delivery [3]. This study aims to evaluate the platform’s physicochemical properties, liver-targeting capability, and in vivo therapeutic potential using sorafenib as a model drug.