Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with paclitaxel-loaded microparticles
Embargo Date
2027-06-08
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the non-cancerous enlargement or hyperplasia of the prostate gland and the most common benign neoplasm of aging men. Its prevalence increases by age, and by age 60, half of all men will have BPH. Although not life-threatening, BPH significantly affects one's quality of life by causing irritative and obstructive symptoms. If left untreated, disruptive symptoms such as acute urinary retention, renal insufficiency and failure, urinary tract infection, bladder stones, and long-term or permanent changes to the bladder detrusor muscle. Current treatments for BPH include orally taken drugs, 5α-reductase inhibitors and alpha blockers, and are usually taken as combined therapy. However, drugs are ineffective for prostate volumes larger than 30 cc, which is common in elderly men. Thus, surgeries are often recommended. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold standard, but not because it is the most effective surgical treatment, but mainly because it has been in the market the longest, and is often covered by insurance. Limitations of TURP include and are not limited to scarring, inflammation, urinary tract infection, BPH recurrence, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and long recovery time. We designed a microparticle delivery system loaded with an antiproliferative agent that is injected into the prostate using the standard transrectal prostate biopsy procedure to reduce prostate size. Specifically, we prepared poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles, which provide a tunable drug release profile between burst and sustained releases, and encapsulated paclitaxel to induce local cell apoptosis. We tested the inhibitory effect of the paclitaxel-loaded microparticles under clinically relevant androgen concentrations for BPH patients with prostate volumes greater than 30 cc. The paclitaxel-loaded microparticles are spherical and 16 µm in diameter and release paclitaxel over 28 days. These results support the continued development of this novel technology and in vivo studies to demonstrate overall prostate volume decrease.
Description
2025
License
Attribution 4.0 International