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Review
. 2024 Nov 7;30(41):4509-4513.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i41.4509.

Encapsulating taurine into liposomes: A promising therapeutic for liver fibrosis

Xue-Juan Zhang  1 , Xiao-Yi Jiang  1 , Yi-Lin Ma  1 , Fei-Yi Huang  1 , Zheng-Wei Huang  2
Affiliations
Review

Encapsulating taurine into liposomes: A promising therapeutic for liver fibrosis

Xue-Juan Zhang et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

We summarize the mechanism by which taurine (Tau) inhibits autophagy and induces iron apoptosis in hepatic stellate cells. Tau interacts with autophagy regulates multifunctional proteins, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 Beta, and autophagy-related gene 5 to inhibit autophagy, binds to ferritin heavy chain 1 and nuclear receptor coactivator 4 to trigger ferritin autophagy, and interacts with glutathione peroxidase 4 to promote iron apoptosis. There is a solid rationale for developing Tau-based therapies targeting autophagy and ferroptosis regulation. From a pharmaceutical point of view, there are certain requirements for Tau protein delivery systems, such as loading efficiency, stability, and targeting. Nanomaterials should also contain a hydrophilic motif similar to Tau to optimize loading efficiency. Since Tau is a hydrophilic molecule with high water solubility, liposomes, micelles, and amphiphilic polymer nanoparticles may represent a superior choice. The nanostructure of the liposome includes a water region and a lipid membrane to sequester hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, respectively, whereas Tau is expected to be loaded into the water region. In addition, a representative method of actively targeting hematopoietic stem cells is introduced. A Tau-based method for the treatment of liver fibrosis is proposed based on the formulation of common liposomes (lecithin plus cholesterol).

Keywords: Hepatic stellate cells; Liposome; Liver fibrosis; Nanoparticle delivery systems; Targeted therapy; Taurin.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Autophagy inhibition and ferroptosis induction mechanisms of taurine in hepatic stellate cells.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Molecular information for taurine collected.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic illustration of taurine-embedded targeting liposomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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