Navigating liver targeting: Fine-tuning chitosan nanocarriers through saccharide modification

The liver is a crucial organ to target due to its association with potentially fatal disorders. However, conventional therapeutic methods face drawbacks due to the liver's physiological structure. To get around these constraints, modification of chitosan with different saccharide molecules has been explored. These modifications have shown promise in developing liver-targeted nanocarriers with favorable properties such as specific interaction with the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASG-R) and improved drug or gene localization in liver tissues. This review focuses on the active targeting of ASG-R for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Additionally, it provides a comprehensive analysis of the targeted pathways involved in liver-specific drug delivery and a concise overview of the benefits and applications associated with chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) in liver diseases. It further examines the impact of saccharide modifications on the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of CHNPs. The review also discusses potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications of these modified nanoparticles for liver targeting, aiming to inspire innovative strategies for advanced drug delivery and therapy in liver diseases, particularly HCC.