04/07/2025                                                                            
                                    
                                                                            
                                            Magnesium microspheres for enhanced transarterial chemoembolization therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: From animal models to a pilot clinical study
Fei Gong https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7603-8553, 
Liyun Zheng https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7750-4109, 
Jiachen Xu https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3865-5315, 
Yumin Wu, [...] , and Jiansong Ji 
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6026-3676+16 
authors Authors Info & Affiliations
 
2 Jul 2025
Vol 11, Issue 27
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adv0885
Abstract
Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been extensively used in clinic to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, magnesium microspheres (Mg MSs) were used as embolic devices to enhance lipiodol-mediated TACE. After being dispersed in lipiodol and injected into tumors, Mg MSs would continuously generate hydrogen and magnesium hydroxide, which could neutralize the acidic tumor microenvironment, restore exhausted CD8+ T cells, reverse immunosuppression, and trigger specific T cell–mediated antitumor responses, synergistically resulting in inhibited tumor growth. As demonstrated in a rabbit orthotopic liver cancer model, artery infusion of Mg MS–dispersed lipiodol offered greatly enhanced therapeutic outcome compared to lipiodol-based or polymeric-bead–based TACE. In a pilot clinical study, among 15 eligible patients with HCC, 11 patients achieved complete response and 3 patients achieved partial responses without unexpected treatment-related adverse events during the 1 to 3 months’ follow-up. The objective response rate of Mg-enhanced TACE was ~93.3% in this small-scale trial, much higher than that of current TACE therapies.
     
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                                        Magnesium microspheres were used as an embolic device to enhance TACE therapy in animal models and a pilot clinical study.