REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Drug Metabolism and Transport

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1592066

This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancements in Drug Carrier Systems for Inflammation ManagementView all articles

A comprehensive overview of Triptolide utilizing nanotechnology and its potential applications in prostate diseases

Provisionally accepted
Yiao  WangYiao Wang1Zhiyan  HouZhiyan Hou1Pan  SongPan Song2Puze  WangPuze Wang3Jinze  LiJinze Li3Jing  ZhengJing Zheng4Dong  LvDong Lv3*
  • 1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
  • 2Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3Department of Urology, People’s Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan Province, China
  • 4School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Triptolide (TPL) demonstrates a broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities, with its primary effects encompassing anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties, thereby rendering it applicable in the treatment of various diseases. However, the toxicity associated with TPL has considerably limited its clinical application. In recent years, the advancement of functional nanotechnology has created new opportunities for the application of TPL. TPL has been formulated using nanotechnology, resulting in a stable and tightly bound preparation. Regarding nanoparticle release, TPL can rapidly release the drug in acidic environments, such as tumor tissues, through pH-sensitive nanoparticles, while releasing the drug slowly under normal pH conditions. Furthermore, the surface characteristics and particle size of the carrier can be adjusted to control the drug release rate, thereby enhancing efficacy and reducing side effects. In terms of nanotargeting, active targeting achieved through surface modification can increase the concentration of the drug at the lesion site. Nanotechnology enhances the effectiveness of TPL, underscores its clinical advantages and potential, improves its disease-related performance, and offers novel strategies for disease treatment. This strategy is essential for improving therapeutic efficacy while minimizing side effects and enhancing bioavailability. Nano-TPL exhibits considerable potential for clinical application, owing to its effective targeted anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties, as well as its minimal toxic side effects. In this review, we present a succinct summary of the pharmacological activities and adverse effects of TPL, modifications made to its delivery system via nanotechnology, and its clinical application prospect is exemplified by prostate disease.

Keywords: Triptolide, Nanotechnology, Prostate diseases, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor

Received: 12 Mar 2025; Accepted: 30 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Hou, Song, Wang, Li, Zheng and Lv. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Dong Lv, Department of Urology, People’s Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan Province, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.