SB431542-Loaded Liposomes Alleviate Liver Fibrosis by Suppressing TGF-β Signaling

Liver fibrosis is a common outcome of most chronic liver diseases, but there is no clinically approved drug for its treatment. Previous studies have reported the potential of SB431542 as an inhibitor of TGF-β signaling in the treatment of liver fibrosis, but it shows poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Here, we improve these characteristics of SB431542 by loading it into liposomes (SB-Lips) with two FDA-approved excipients: soya phosphatidyl S100 and Solutol HS15. In vitro, SB-Lips had stronger inhibitory effects on the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cells LX-2 than free SB. After an intravenous injection in a CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mouse model, SB-Lips accumulated preferentially in the liver, its area under the concentration–time curve was significantly higher than that of free SB431542, and it alleviated hepatic fibrosis significantly more than free drug, which was associated with greater inhibition of TGF-β signaling. Furthermore, SB-Lips did not cause significant injury to other organs. These results suggest that our liposomal system is safe and effective for delivering SB431542 to fibrotic liver.