Fabrication of Au@PAM microspheres by coaxial electrospray for radiofrequency ablation and transcatheter artery embolization in hepatocellular carcinoma

A significant challenge in comprehensive interventional liver cancer therapy based on radiofrequency ablation and multifunctional microsphere embolization lies in enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Addressing this challenge, an innovative coaxial electrospray technology has been developed. This technology distinguishes between the processes of droplet dispersion and microsphere solidification by utilizing the stability of Pickering emulsions. Consequently, it broadens the range of materials that can be synthesized via the electrospray method and enables the incorporation of diverse functional substances to prepare multifunctional embolic microspheres. This process successfully constructs Au@PAM microspheres that combine embolization, radiopaque imaging, and radiofrequency thermal response functions. The radiopacity of the Au@PAM was comparable to the 41 mg I/mL iohexol, indicating its potential as a radiopaque embolic agent. In vitro embolization simulation experiments have indicated that the Au@PAM microspheres exhibit excellent elasticity, deformation, filling capacity, and thermal response adhesion characteristics. Furthermore, in vitro radiofrequency response experiments have demonstrated that the Au@PAM microspheres exhibit significant radiofrequency thermal effects. The integration of embolization with radiofrequency treatment in VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits suggests that Au@PAM microspheres substantially enhance the synergistic anti-tumor effects of transcatheter arterial embolization and radiofrequency ablation on liver cancer. Additionally, they positively influence the regulation of the postoperative tumor microenvironment.