Figure 6.

SN38 prodrug-formulated NPs exhibited potent antitumor efficacy and survival benefits in a mouse model bearing human HCC PDX tumors. (A) Schematic illustration of the protocol for the establishment of a human HCC PDX tumor model in Balb/c nude mice. The primary HCC tissue from patient 1-150605 obtained by surgical resection was finely minced and implanted subcutaneously into nude mice at the engraftment phase (F₁). Drug treatment was performed from the third generation. (B) Tumor volume (mm³) as a function of time after drug treatment (n = 7 in each group). When the tumor volumes reached ~50 mm³, NP solutions containing SN38 prodrugs (15 mg/kg, at the SN38 equivalent dose) were injected three successive times. Saline and CPT-11 (22.5 mg/kg) were also intravenously injected as controls. Arrows represent the i.v. injections; the tumor volumes are expressed as the means ± s.d.; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01. (C) Kaplan-Meier survival plots demonstrating the survival benefit in animals with a 100% survival after treatment with PLA₇₁-SN38-NPs.