Drug-Loaded Multifunctional Nanoparticles Targeted to the Endocardial Layer of the Injured Heart Modulate Hypertrophic Signaling

SnoRNAs in cardiovascular development, function, and disease

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiovascular (patho)biology. Several roles of snoRNAs have recently been identified in heart development and congenital heart diseases, as well as their dynamic regulation in hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies, coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac fibrosis, and heart failure. Furthermore, reports of changes in vesicular snoRNA expression and altered levels of circulating snoRNAs in response to cardiac stress suggest that snoRNAs also function in cardiac signaling and intercellular communication. In this review, we summarize and discuss key findings and outline the clinical potential of snoRNAs considering current challenges and gaps in the field of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Implantable Patch of Oxidized Nanofibrillated Cellulose and Lysozyme Amyloid Nanofibrils for the Regeneration of Infarcted Myocardium Tissue and Local Delivery of RNA-Loaded Nanoparticles

Biopolymeric implantable patches are popular scaffolds for myocardial regeneration applications. Besides being biocompatible, they can be tailored to have required properties and functionalities for this application. Recently, fibrillar biobased nanostructures prove to be valuable in the development of functional biomaterials for tissue regeneration applications. Here, periodate-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (OxNFC) is blended with lysozyme amyloid nanofibrils (LNFs) to prepare a self-crosslinkable patch for myocardial implantation. The OxNFC:LNFs patch shows superior wet mechanical properties (60 MPa for Young's modulus and 1.5 MPa for tensile stress at tensile strength), antioxidant activity (70% scavenging activity under 24 h), and bioresorbability ratio (80% under 91 days), when compared to the patches composed solely of NFC or OxNFC. These improvements are achieved while preserving the morphology, required thermal stability for sterilization, and biocompatibility toward rat cardiomyoblast cells. Additionally, both OxNFC and OxNFC:LNFs patches reveal the ability to act as efficient vehicles to deliver spermine modified acetalated dextran nanoparticles, loaded with small interfering RNA, with 80% of delivery after 5 days. This study highlights the value of simply blending OxNFC and LNFs, synergistically combining their key properties and functionalities, resulting in a biopolymeric patch that comprises valuable characteristics for myocardial regeneration applications.

An enhanced cardio-protective effect of nanoparticles loaded with active components from Polygonum orientale L. against isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischemia in rats

In this study, nanoparticles loaded with active components from Polygonum orientale L. (PO), a traditional Chinese herb known for its anti-myocardial ischemic properties, were investigated for cardio-protective properties. Specifically, OVQ-Nanoparticles (OVQ-NPs) with Orientin (Ori), Vitexin (Vit), and Quercetin (Que) was obtained by double emulsion-solvent evaporation method. The OVQ-NPs exhibited a spherical shape, with a uniform size distribution of 136.77 ± 3.88 nm and a stable ζ-potential of -13.40 ± 2.24 mV. Notably, these nanoparticles exhibited a favorable sustained-release characteristic, resulting in an extended circulation time within the living organism. Consequently, the administration of these nanoparticles resulted in significant improvements in electrocardiograms and heart mass index of myocardial ischemic rats induced by isoproterenol, as well as decreased serum levels of CK, LDH, and AST. Furthermore, the results of histopathological examination, such as H&E staining and TUNEL staining, confirmed a reduced level of cardiac tissue pathology and apoptosis. Moreover, the quantification of biochemical indicators (SOD, MDA, GSH, NO, TNF-α, and IL-6) demonstrated that OVQ-NPs effectively mitigated myocardial ischemia by regulating oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. In conclusion, OVQ-NPs demonstrate promising therapeutic potential as an intervention for myocardial ischemia, providing a new perspective on traditional Chinese medicine treatment in this area.

Affinity chromatography reveals direct binding of the GATA4-NKX2-5 interaction inhibitor (3i-1000) with GATA4

Heart failure is a serious medical condition with a poor prognosis. Current treatments can only help manage the symptoms and slow the progression of heart failure. However, there is currently no cure to prevent and reverse cardiac remodeling. Transcription factors are in a central role in various cellular processes, and in the heart, GATA4 and NKX2-5 transcription factors mediate hypertrophic responses and remodeling. We have identified compounds that modulate the synergistic interaction of GATA4 and NKX2-5 and shown that the most promising compound (1, 3i-1000) is cardioprotective in vitro and in vivo. However, direct evidence of its binding site and mechanism of action has not been available. Due to the disordered nature of transcription factors, classical target engagement approaches cannot be utilized. Here, we synthesized a small-molecule ligand-binding pulldown probe of compound 1 to utilize affinity chromatography alongside CETSA, AlphaScreen, and molecular modeling to study ligand binding. These results provide the first evidence of direct physical binding of compound 1 selectively to GATA4. While developing drugs that target transcription factors presents challenges, advances in technologies and knowledge of intrinsically disordered proteins enable the identification of small molecules that can selectively target transcription factors.

A bibliography of smart nanomaterials biological application in myocardial infarction research

Myocardial infarction has been considered the top cause of mortality globally. Numerous studies investigated the biological application of smart nanomaterials in myocardial infarction. Our study aimed to provide an overview of this area through bibliography research. Literature related to the biological application of nanomaterials was retrieved from the web of science core collection database. Bibliography analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, Citespace, and the R package "bibliometrix." A total of 1226 publications were included. The USA, China, and India carried out the most of studies. Harvard University is the most productive institution. Matthias Nahrendorf ranked first in article volume and also owned the highest impact. Keyword burst analysis indicated the frontiers and hotspots to be gold nanoparticles and iron oxide nanoparticles. This bibliography analysis provides a comprehensive overview of uncovered current research trends and emerging hotspots of nanomaterials' biological application in myocardial infarction, thus inspiring further investigations.

Recent advancements in nanotechnology based drug delivery for the management of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) constitute a predominant cause of both global mortality and morbidity. To address the challenges in the early diagnosis and management of CVDs, there is growing interest in the field of nanotechnology and nanomaterials to develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This review focuses on the recent advancements in nanotechnology-based diagnostic techniques, including cardiac immunoassays (CIA), cardiac circulating biomarkers, cardiac exosomal biomarkers, and molecular Imaging (MOI). Moreover, the article delves into the exciting developments in nanoparticles (NPs), biomimetic NPs, nanofibers, nanogels, and nanopatchs for cardiovascular applications. And discuss how these nanoscale technologies can improve the precision, sensitivity, and speed of CVD diagnosis and management. While highlighting their vast potential, we also address the limitations and challenges that must be overcome to harness these innovations successfully. Furthermore, this review focuses on the emerging opportunities for personalized and effective cardiovascular care through the integration of nanotechnology, ultimately aiming to reduce the global burden of CVDs.

ROS-Suppression Nanoplatform Combined Activation of STAT3/Bcl-2 Pathway for Preventing Myocardial Infarction in Mice

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The most effective way to treat myocardial infarction is to rescue ischemic cardiomyocytes. After an ischemic event, the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a key driver of myocardial injury. The produced ROS affects mitochondrial function and induces apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. This was accomplished by constructing platelet-membrane-encapsulated ROS-responsive drug-releasing nanoparticles (PMN@NIC-MalNPs) to deliver malonate and niclosamide (NIC). The results revealed that PMN@NIC-MalNPs degraded and released malonate and niclosamide in a high-level ROS microenvironment, effectively reducing the oxidative stress and apoptosis rate. By enhancing basal mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and spare respiratory capacity (SRC) in vitro, reduced the oxidative stress levels and restored mitochondrial function. In vivo studies revealed that the PMN@NIC-MalNPs improved cardiac dysfunction, inhibited succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, increased ATP production, and reduced the myocardial infarct size in myocardial infarction model mice. Further, transcriptome analysis and Western blot revealed that PMN@NIC-MalNPs prevented apoptosis by activating the expressions of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and Bcl-2, and inhibiting the expression of Bax. Thus, this study provides a novel therapeutic solution for treating myocardial infarction and predicting the viability of an antioxidant and antiapoptotic therapeutic solution in the treatment of myocardial injury.

A PEG-assisted membrane coating to prepare biomimetic mesoporous silicon for PET/CT imaging of triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) diagnosis remains challenging without expressing critical receptors. Cancer cell membrane (CCm) coating has been extensively studied for targeted cancer diagnostics due to attractive features such as good biocompatibility and homotypic tumor-targeting. However, the present study found that widely used CCm coating approaches, such as extrusion, were not applicable for functionalizing irregularly shaped nanoparticles (NPs), such as porous silicon (PSi). To tackle this challenge, we proposed a novel approach that employs polyethylene glycol (PEG)-assisted membrane coating, wherein PEG and CCm are respectively functionalized on PSi NPs through chemical conjugation and physical absorption. Meanwhile, the PSi NPs were grafted with the bisphosphonate (BP) molecules for radiolabeling. Thanks to the good chelating ability of BP and homotypic tumor targeting of cancer CCm coating, a novel PSi-based contrast agent (CCm-PEG-89Zr-BP-PSi) was developed for targeted positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging of TNBC. The novel imaging agent showed good radiochemical purity (∼99 %) and stability (∼95 % in PBS and ∼99 % in cell medium after 48 h). Furthermore, the CCm-PEG-89Zr-BP-PSi NPs had efficient homotypic targeting ability in vitro and in vivo for TNBC. These findings demonstrate a versatile biomimetic coating method to prepare novel NPs for tumor-targeted diagnosis.

Platelet Membrane-Encapsulated Nanocomplexes Based on Profundity Scavenging ROS Strategy for Myocardial Infarction Therapy

Ischemia-induced myocardial injury has become a serious threat to human health, and its treatment remains a challenge. The occurrence of ischemic events leads to a burst release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which triggers extensive oxidative damage and leads to dysfunctional autophagy, making it difficult for cells to maintain homeostasis. Antioxidants and modulation of autophagy have thus become promising strategies for the treatment of ischemic myocardial injury. This study proposes an antioxidant-activated autophagy therapeutic regimen based on combining melanin (Mel), an excellent antioxidant with metformin mimetic ploymetformin via electrostatic interactions, to obtain a nanocomplex (Met-Mel). The nanocomplex is finally encapsulated with platelet membranes (PMN) to construct a biomimetic nanoparticle (PMN@Met-Mel) capable of targeting injured myocardium. The prepared PMN@Met-Mel has good Mel loading capacity and optimal biosafety. It exhibits excellent antioxidant activity and autophagy activation, rapidly restoring mitochondrial function. Moreover, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis reveals that PMN@Met-Mel operates mechanistically by triggering the activation of the autophagy pathway. Subsequent in vivo experiments showcase promising cardioprotective effects of these nanoparticles. These discoveries present a newly devised nanoplatform with promising potential for the effective treatment of myocardial infarction.

Nanomaterials in Medicine: Understanding Cellular Uptake, Localization, and Retention for Enhanced Disease Diagnosis and Therapy

Nanomaterials (NMs) have emerged as promising tools for disease diagnosis and therapy due to their unique physicochemical properties. To maximize the effectiveness and design of NMs-based medical applications, it is essential to comprehend the complex mechanisms of cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and cellular retention. This review illuminates the various pathways that NMs take to get from the extracellular environment to certain intracellular compartments by investigating the various mechanisms that underlie their interaction with cells. The cellular uptake of NMs involves complex interactions with cell membranes, encompassing endocytosis, phagocytosis, and other active transport mechanisms. Unique uptake patterns across cell types highlight the necessity for customized NMs designs. After internalization, NMs move through a variety of intracellular routes that affect where they are located subcellularly. Understanding these pathways is pivotal for enhancing the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents and imaging probes. Furthermore, the cellular retention of NMs plays a critical role in sustained therapeutic efficacy and long-term imaging capabilities. Factors influencing cellular retention include nanoparticle size, surface chemistry, and the cellular microenvironment. Strategies for prolonging cellular retention are discussed, including surface modifications and encapsulation techniques. In conclusion, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms governing cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and cellular retention of NMs is essential for advancing their application in disease diagnosis and therapy. This review provides insights into the intricate interplay between NMs and biological systems, offering a foundation for the rational design of next-generation nanomedicines.

Multifunctional role of nanoparticles for the diagnosis and therapeutics of cardiovascular diseases

The increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains responsible for morbidity and mortality worldwide; their effective diagnostic or treatment methods are of great interest to researchers. The use of NPs and nanocarriers in cardiology has drawn much interest. The present comprehensive review provides deep insights into the use of current and innovative approaches in CVD diagnostics to offer practical ways to utilize nanotechnological interventions and the critical elements in the CVD diagnosis, associated risk factors, and management strategies of patients with chronic CVDs. We proposed a decision tree-based solution by discussing the emerging applications of NPs for the higher number of rules to increase efficiency in treating CVDs. This review-based study explores the screening methods, tests, and toxicity to provide a unique way of creating a multi-parametric feature that includes cutting-edge techniques for identifying cardiovascular problems and their treatments. We discussed the benefits and drawbacks of various NPs in the context of cost, space, time and complexity that have been previously suggested in the literature for the diagnosis of CVDs risk factors. Also, we highlighted the advances in using NPs for targeted and improved drug delivery and discussed the evolution toward the nano-cardiovascular potential for medical science. Finally, we also examined the mixed-based diagnostic approaches crucial for treating cardiovascular disorders, broad applications and the potential future applications of nanotechnology in medical sciences.

An updated review of YAP: A promising therapeutic target against cardiac aging?

The transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein (YAP) functions as a downstream effector of the Hippo signaling pathway and plays a crucial role in cardiomyocyte survival. In its non-phosphorylated activated state, YAP binds to transcription factors, activating the transcription of downstream target genes. It also regulates cell proliferation and survival by selectively binding to enhancers and activating target genes. However, the upregulation of the Hippo pathway in human heart failure inhibits cardiac regeneration and disrupts astrogenesis, thus preventing the nuclear translocation of YAP. Existing literature indicates that the Hippo/YAP axis contributes to inflammation and fibrosis, potentially playing a role in the development of cardiac, vascular and renal injuries. Moreover, it is a key mediator of myofibroblast differentiation and fibrosis in the infarcted heart. Given these insights, can we harness YAP's regenerative potential in a targeted manner? In this review, we provide a detailed discussion of the Hippo signaling pathway and consolidate concepts for the development and intervention of cardiac anti-aging drugs to leverage YAP signaling as a pivotal target.

Novel Strategies Using Sagacious Targeting for Site-Specific Drug Delivery in Breast Cancer Treatment: Clinical Potential and Applications

For more than a decade, researchers have been working to achieve new strategies and smart targeting drug delivery techniques and technologies to treat breast cancer (BC). Nanotechnology presents a hopeful strategy for targeted drug delivery into the building of new therapeutics using the properties of nanomaterials. Nanoparticles are of high regard in the field of diagnosis and the treatment of cancer. The use of these nanoparticles as an encouraging approach in the treatment of various cancers has drawn the interest of researchers in recent years. In order to achieve the maximum therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of BC, combination therapy has also been adopted, leading to minimal side effects and thus an enhancement in the quality of life for patients. This review article compares, discusses and criticizes the approaches to treat BC using novel design strategies and smart targeting of site-specific drug delivery systems.

Injectable Nanocomposite Hydrogels of Gelatin-Hyaluronic Acid Reinforced with Hybrid Lysozyme Nanofibrils-Gold Nanoparticles for the Regeneration of Damaged Myocardium

Biopolymeric injectable hydrogels are promising biomaterials for myocardial regeneration applications. Besides being biocompatible, they adjust themselves, perfectly fitting the surrounding tissue. However, due to their nature, biopolymeric hydrogels usually lack desirable functionalities, such as antioxidant activity and electrical conductivity, and in some cases, mechanical performance. Protein nanofibrils (NFs), such as lysozyme nanofibrils (LNFs), are proteic nanostructures with excellent mechanical performance and antioxidant activity, which can work as nanotemplates to produce metallic nanoparticles. Here, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized in situ in the presence of LNFs, and the obtained hybrid AuNPs@LNFs were incorporated into gelatin-hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels for myocardial regeneration applications. The resulting nanocomposite hydrogels showed improved rheological properties, mechanical resilience, antioxidant activity, and electrical conductivity, especially for the hydrogels containing AuNPs@LNFs. The swelling and bioresorbability ratios of these hydrogels are favorably adjusted at lower pH levels, which correspond to the ones in inflamed tissues. These improvements were observed while maintaining important properties, namely, injectability, biocompatibility, and the ability to release a model drug. Additionally, the presence of AuNPs allowed the hydrogels to be monitorable through computer tomography. This work demonstrates that LNFs and AuNPs@LNFs are excellent functional nanostructures to formulate injectable biopolymeric nanocomposite hydrogels for myocardial regeneration applications.

Cysteine-Based Redox-Responsive Nanoparticles for Fibroblast-Targeted Drug Delivery in the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction

Upon myocardial infarction (MI), activated cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) begin to remodel the myocardium, leading to cardiac fibrosis and even heart failure. No therapeutic approaches are currently available to prevent the development of MI-induced pathological fibrosis. Most pharmacological trials fail from poor local drug activity and side effects caused by systemic toxicity, largely due to the lack of a heart-targeted drug delivery system that is selective for activated CFs. Here, we developed a reduced glutathione (GSH)-responsive nanoparticle platform capable of targeted delivering of drugs to activated CFs within the infarct area of a post-MI heart. Compared with systemic drug administration, CF-targeted delivery of PF543, a sphingosine kinase 1 inhibitor identified in a high-throughput antifibrotic drug screening, had higher therapeutic efficacy and lower systemic toxicity in a MI mouse model. Our results provide a CF-targeted strategy to deliver therapeutic agents for pharmacological intervention of cardiac fibrosis.

Nanoparticle: A Promising Player in Nanomedicine and its Theranostic Applications for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death around the world, a trend that will progressively grow over the next decade. Recently, with the advancement of nanotechnology, innovative nanoparticles (NPs) have been efficiently utilized in disease diagnosis and theranostic applications. In this review, we highlighted the benchmark summary of the recently synthesized NPs that are handy for imaging, diagnosis, and treatment of CVDs. NPs are the carrier of drug-delivery payloads actively reaching more areas of the heart and arteries, allowing them novel therapeutic agents for CVDs. Herein, due to the limited availability of literature, we only focused on NPs mechanism in the cardiovascular system and various treatment-based approaches that opens a new window for future research and versatile approach in the field of medical and clinical applications. Moreover, current challenges and limitations for the detection of CVDs has also discussed.

Nanoparticle Based Cardiac Specific Drug Delivery

Heart failure secondary to myocardial injuries is a leading cause of death worldwide. Recently, a growing number of novel therapies have emerged for injured myocardium repairment. However, delivering therapeutic agents specifically to the injured heart remains a significant challenge. Nanoparticles are the most commonly used vehicles for targeted drug delivery. Various nanoparticles have been synthesized to deliver drugs and other therapeutic molecules to the injured heart via passive or active targeting approaches, and their targeting specificity and therapeutic efficacies have been investigated. Here, we summarized nanoparticle-based, cardiac-specific drug delivery systems, their potency for treating heart diseases, and the mechanisms underlying these cardiac-targeting strategies. We also discussed the clinical studies that have employed nanoparticle-based cardiac-specific drug delivery.

Differential Surface Engineering Generates Core-Shell Porous Silicon Nanoparticles for Controlled and Targeted Delivery of an Anticancer Drug

An approach to differentially modify the internal surface of porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs) with hydrophobic dodecene and the external surface with antifouling poly-N-(2-hydroxypropyl) acrylamide (polyHPAm) as well as a cell-targeting peptide was developed. Specifically, to generate these core-shell pSiNPs, the interior surface of a porous silicon (pSi) film was hydrosilylated with 1-dodecene, followed by ultrasonication to create pSiNPs. The new external surfaces were modified by silanization with a polymerization initiator, and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization was performed to introduce polyHPAm brushes. Afterward, a fraction of the polymer side chain hydroxyl groups was activated to conjugate cRGDfK─a peptide with a high affinity and selectivity for the α_νβ₃ integrin receptor that is overexpressed in prostate and melanoma cancers. Finally, camptothecin, a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug, was successfully loaded into the pores. This drug delivery system showed excellent colloidal stability in a cell culture medium, and the in vitro drug release kinetics could be fine-tuned by the combination of internal and external surface modifications. In vitro studies by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry revealed improved cellular association attributed to cRGDfK. Furthermore, the cell viability results showed that the drug-loaded and peptide-functionalized nanoparticles had enhanced cytotoxicity toward a C4-2B prostate carcinoma cell line in both 2D cell culture and a 3D spheroid model.

Multifunctional biomaterial platforms for blocking the fibrosis process and promoting cellular restoring effects in myocardial fibrosis therapy

Myocardial fibrosis is the result of abnormal healing after acute and chronic myocardial damage and is a direct cause of heart failure and cardiac insufficiency. The clinical approach is to preserve cardiac function and inhibit fibrosis through surgery aimed at dredging blood vessels. However, this strategy does not adequately address the deterioration of fibrosis and cardiac function recovery. Therefore, numerous biomaterial platforms have been developed to address the above issues. In this review, we summarize the existing biomaterial delivery and restoring platforms, In addition, we also clarify the therapeutic strategies based on biomaterial platforms, including general strategies to block the fibrosis process and new strategies to promote cellular restoring effects. The development of structures with the ability to block further fibrosis progression as well as to promote cardiomyocytes viability should be the main research interests in myocardial fibrosis, and the reestablishment of structures necessary for normal cardiac function is central to the treatment of myocardial fibrosis. Finally, the future application of biomaterials for myocardial fibrosis is also highlighted.

Advanced Drug Delivery Micro- and Nanosystems for Cardiovascular Diseases

Advanced drug delivery micro- and nanosystems have been widely explored due to their appealing specificity/selectivity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and low toxicity. They can be applied for the targeted delivery of pharmaceuticals, with the benefits of good biocompatibility/stability, non-immunogenicity, large surface area, high drug loading capacity, and low leakage of drugs. Cardiovascular diseases, as one of the primary mortalities cause worldwide with significant impacts on the quality of patients’ life, comprise a variety of heart and circulatory system pathologies, such as peripheral vascular diseases, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and coronary artery diseases. Designing novel micro- and nanosystems with suitable targeting properties and smart release behaviors can help circumvent crucial challenges of the tolerability, low stability, high toxicity, and possible side- and off-target effects of conventional drug delivery routes. To overcome different challenging issues, namely physiological barriers, low efficiency of drugs, and possible adverse side effects, various biomaterials-mediated drug delivery systems have been formulated with reduced toxicity, improved pharmacokinetics, high bioavailability, sustained release behavior, and enhanced therapeutic efficacy for targeted therapy of cardiovascular diseases. Despite the existing drug delivery systems encompassing a variety of biomaterials for treating cardiovascular diseases, the number of formulations currently approved for clinical use is limited due to the regulatory and experimental obstacles. Herein, the most recent advancements in drug delivery micro- and nanosystems designed from different biomaterials for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases are deliberated, with a focus on the important challenges and future perspectives.

Myocardium-Targeted Micelle Nanomedicine That Salvages the Heart from Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Cardioprotective medication is the common treatment to relieve myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, limited by the low bioavailability of therapeutic drugs, the therapeutic outcome is barely satisfactory. Because the I/R injury can enhance the permeability of the vasculature and allow the extravasation of nanoparticles into the surrounding tissue, herein we formulate the cardiotonic drug olprinone (Olp) in cross-linked micelles as the nanomedicine to achieve myocardium-targeted delivery after systematic administration. As a result, the local concentration of Olp in the injured myocardium is raised by orders of magnitude with prolonged drug duration time. The treatment successfully preserves the pumping efficiency of the heart, alleviates ventricular remodeling, and thus stops the positive feedback loop for the deteriorated cardiac function. Consequently, the myocardium-targeted nanomedicine significantly salvages the heart from I/R injury before irreversible pathological changes take place.

Nanomaterials-Mediated Therapeutics and Diagnosis Strategies for Myocardial Infarction

The alarming mortality and morbidity rate of myocardial infarction (MI) is becoming an important impetus in the development of early diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic approaches, which are critical for saving patients' lives and improving post-infarction prognosis. Despite several advances that have been made in the treatment of MI, current strategies are still far from satisfactory. Nanomaterials devote considerable contribution to tackling the drawbacks of conventional therapy of MI by improving the homeostasis in the cardiac microenvironment via targeting, immune modulation, and repairment. This review emphasizes the strategies of nanomaterials-based MI treatment, including cardiac targeting drug delivery, immune-modulation strategy, antioxidants and antiapoptosis strategy, nanomaterials-mediated stem cell therapy, and cardiac tissue engineering. Furthermore, nanomaterials-based diagnosis strategies for MI was presented in term of nanomaterials-based immunoassay and nano-enhanced cardiac imaging. Taken together, although nanomaterials-based strategies for the therapeutics and diagnosis of MI are both promising and challenging, such a strategy still explores the immense potential in the development of the next generation of MI treatment.

Nanocarrier-Based Targeted Therapies for Myocardial Infarction

Myocardial infarction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to poor inherent regeneration of the adult mammalian myocardium and challenges with effective drug delivery, there has been little progress in regenerative therapies. Nanocarriers, including liposomes, nanoparticles, and exosomes, offer many potential advantages for the therapy of myocardial infarction, including improved delivery, retention, and prolonged activity of therapeutics. However, there are many challenges that have prevented the widespread clinical use of these technologies. This review aims to summarize significant principles and developments in the field, with a focus on nanocarriers using ligand-based or cell mimicry-based targeting. Lastly, a discussion of limitations and potential future direction is provided.

Designer Functional Nanomedicine for Myocardial Repair by Regulating the Inflammatory Microenvironment

Acute myocardial infarction is a major global health problem, and the repair of damaged myocardium is still a major challenge. Myocardial injury triggers an inflammatory response: immune cells infiltrate into the myocardium while activating myofibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells, promoting tissue repair and scar formation. Fragments released by cardiomyocytes become endogenous “danger signals”, which are recognized by cardiac pattern recognition receptors, activate resident cardiac immune cells, release thrombin factors and inflammatory mediators, and trigger severe inflammatory responses. Inflammatory signaling plays an important role in the dilation and fibrosis remodeling of the infarcted heart, and is a key event driving the pathogenesis of post-infarct heart failure. At present, there is no effective way to reverse the inflammatory microenvironment in injured myocardium, so it is urgent to find new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. Nanomedicine, the application of nanoparticles for the prevention, treatment, and imaging of disease, has produced a number of promising applications. This review discusses the treatment and challenges of myocardial injury and describes the advantages of functional nanoparticles in regulating the myocardial inflammatory microenvironment and overcoming side effects. In addition, the role of inflammatory signals in regulating the repair and remodeling of infarcted hearts is discussed, and specific therapeutic targets are identified to provide new therapeutic ideas for the treatment of myocardial injury.

Nanoparticles Targeting the Molecular Pathways of Heart Remodeling and Regeneration

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death worldwide, a trend that will continue to grow over the next decade. The heart consists of a complex cellular network based mainly on cardiomyocytes, but also on endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and pericytes, which closely communicate through paracrine factors and direct contact. These interactions serve as valuable targets in understanding the phenomenon of heart remodeling and regeneration. The advances in nanomedicine in the controlled delivery of active pharmacological agents are remarkable and may provide substantial contribution to the treatment of heart diseases. This review aims to summarize the main mechanisms involved in cardiac remodeling and regeneration and how they have been applied in nanomedicine.

Recent developments of porous silicon nanovectors with various imaging modalities in the framework of theranostics

The number of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies on porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles for biomedical applications has increased extensively over the last decade. The focus of the reports has been on the carrier properties of PSi concerning the therapeutic aspect due to several beneficial nanovector characteristics including high payload capacity, biocompatibility, and versatile surface chemistry. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the diagnostic aspects of PSi, which is typically attributed to the biotraceability of the nanovector. Also, PSi has been studied as a contrast agent. When both these aspects, therapy and diagnosis, are integrated into one nanovector, we can discuss a real nanotheranostics approach. Herein, we review the recent progress developing PSi for various imaging modalities, specifically focusing on optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine imaging. Furthermore, we summarized the knowledge gaps that must be covered before applying PSi in clinical imaging, highlighting future research trends.

Nanomaterials: A Promising Therapeutic Approach for Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a primary cause of death globally. A few classic and hybrid treatments exist to treat CVDs. However, they lack in both safety and effectiveness. Thus, innovative nanomaterials for disease diagnosis and treatment are urgently required. The tiny size of nanomaterials allows them to reach more areas of the heart and arteries, making them ideal for CVDs. Atherosclerosis causes arterial stenosis and reduced blood flow. The most common treatment is medication and surgery to stabilize the disease. Nanotechnologies are crucial in treating vascular disease. Nanomaterials may be able to deliver medications to lesion sites after being infused into the circulation. Newer point-of-care devices have also been considered together with nanomaterials. For example, this study will look at the use of nanomaterials in imaging, diagnosing, and treating CVDs.

Acute myocardial infarction therapy: in vitro and in vivo evaluation of atrial natriuretic peptide and triphenylphosphonium dual ligands modified, baicalin-loaded nanoparticulate system

Background

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the most common ischemic heart diseases. It is very essential to explore new types of cardioprotective drugs delivery systems in this area.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of baicalin (BA) and puerarin (PU) against acute MI rat models. BA and PU co-loaded nanoparticulate system were developed to improve bioavailability of the drugs, to prolong retention time in vivo and to enhance the protective effect.

Methods

In the present study, ANP and TPP contained ligands were synthesized. ANP/TPP-BN-LPNs were prepared and its physico-chemical properties were evaluated. The MI therapy efficiency of ANP/TPP-BN-LPNs was assessed in rats after intravenous injection. Single ligand contained LPNs, no ligand contained LPNs, and BN solution formulations were also prepared and used for the comparison.

Results

ANP/TPP-BN-LPNs were uniform and spheroidal particles. The size of ANP/TPP-BN-LPNs was 98.5 ± 2.9 nm, with a zeta potential of –19.5 ± 1.9 mV. The dual ligands modified LPNs exhibited significantly improved therapeutic efficiency compared with the single ligand modified LPNs and other systems. In vivo infarct therapy studies in rats proved that ANP/TPP-BN-LPNs were a promising system for efficient delivery of cardiovascular drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Conclusions

ANP/TPP-BN-LPNs could be used as a long-circulating and heart-targeting drug delivery system.

Nanoparticles: Promising Tools for the Treatment and Prevention of Myocardial Infarction

Despite several recent advances, current therapy and prevention strategies for myocardial infarction are far from satisfactory, owing to limitations in their applicability and treatment effects. Nanoparticles (NPs) enable the targeted and stable delivery of therapeutic compounds, enhance tissue engineering processes, and regulate the behaviour of transplants such as stem cells. Thus, NPs may be more effective than other mechanisms, and may minimize potential adverse effects. This review provides evidence for the view that function-oriented systems are more practical than traditional material-based systems; it also summarizes the latest advances in NP-based strategies for the treatment and prevention of myocardial infarction.

Advances in Nanomaterials for Injured Heart Repair

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Because of the limited regenerative capacity of adult myocardium to compensate for the loss of heart tissue after ischemic infarction, scientists have been exploring the possible mechanisms involved in the pathological process of ASCVD and searching for alternative means to regenerate infarcted cardiac tissue. Although numerous studies have pursued innovative solutions for reversing the pathological process of ASCVD and improving the effectiveness of delivering therapeutics, the translation of those advances into downstream clinical applications remains unsatisfactory because of poor safety and low efficacy. Recently, nanomaterials (NMs) have emerged as a promising new strategy to strengthen both the efficacy and safety of ASCVD therapy. Thus, a comprehensive review of NMs used in ASCVD treatment will be useful. This paper presents an overview of the pathophysiological mechanisms of ASCVD and the multifunctional mechanisms of NM-based therapy, including antioxidative, anti-inflammation and antiapoptosis mechanisms. The technological improvements of NM delivery are summarized and the clinical transformations concerning the use of NMs to treat ASCVD are examined. Finally, this paper discusses the challenges and future perspectives of NMs in cardiac regeneration to provide insightful information for health professionals on the latest advancements in nanotechnologies for ASCVD treatment.

Pulmonary circulation-mediated heart targeting for the prevention of heart failure by inhalation of intrinsically bioactive nanoparticles

Heart failure is a serious clinical and public health problem. Currently there is an unmet demand for effective therapies for heart failure. Herein we reported noninvasive inhalation delivery of nanotherapies to prevent heart failure.

Methods: A reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging material (TPCD) was synthesized, which was processed into antioxidative and anti-inflammatory nanoparticles (i.e., TPCD NP). By decoration with a mitochondrial-targeting moiety, a multilevel targeting nanotherapy TTPCD NP was engineered. Pulmonary accumulation of inhaled TPCD NP and underlying mechanisms were examined in mice. In vivo efficacies of nanotherapies were evaluated in mice with doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiomyopathy. Further, an antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and pro-resolving nanotherapy (i.e., ATTPCD NP) was developed, by packaging a peptide Ac2-26. In vitro and in vivo efficacies of ATTPCD NP were also evaluated.

Results: TPCD NP alleviated DOX-induced oxidative stress and cell injury by internalization in cardiomyocytes and scavenging overproduced ROS. Inhaled TPCD NP can accumulate in the heart of mice by transport across the lung epithelial and endothelial barriers. Correspondingly, inhaled TPCD NP effectively inhibited DOX-induced heart failure in mice. TTPCD NP showed considerably enhanced heart targeting capability, cellular uptake efficiency, and mitochondrial localization capacity, thereby potentiating therapeutic effects. Notably, TPCD NP can serve as bioactive and ROS-responsive nanovehicles to achieve combination therapy with Ac2-26, affording further enhanced efficacies. Importantly, inhaled TPCD NP displayed good safety at a dose 5-fold higher than the efficacious dose.

Conclusions: Inhalation delivery of nanoparticles is an effective, safe, and noninvasive strategy for targeted treatment of heart diseases. TPCD NP-based nanotherapies are promising drugs for heart failure and other acute/chronic heart diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Quantitative Analysis of Porous Silicon Nanoparticles Functionalization by 1H NMR

Porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles have been applied in various fields, such as catalysis, imaging, and biomedical applications, because of their large specific surface area, easily modifiable surface chemistry, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. For biomedical applications, it is important to precisely control the surface modification of PSi-based materials and quantify the functionalization density, which determines the nanoparticle’s behavior in the biological system. Therefore, we propose here an optimized solution to quantify the functionalization groups on PSi, based on the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method by combining the hydrolysis with standard ¹H NMR experiments. We optimized the hydrolysis conditions to degrade the PSi, providing mobility to the molecules for NMR detection. The NMR parameters were also optimized by relaxation delay and the number of scans to provide reliable NMR spectra. With an internal standard, we quantitatively analyzed the surficial amine groups and their sequential modification of polyethylene glycol. Our investigation provides a reliable, fast, and straightforward method in quantitative analysis of the surficial modification characterization of PSi requiring a small amount of sample.

Albumin Nanoparticle Formulation for Heart-Targeted Drug Delivery: In Vivo Assessment of Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure is a fatal cardiovascular disease resulting in tissue necrosis and loss of cardiac contractile function. Inotropic drugs such as milrinone are commonly used to improve the myocardial contractility and heart function. However, milrinone is associated with severe side effects and lower circulation time. In this article, a novel protein nanoparticle formulation for heart-targeted delivery of milrinone has been designed and tested. The formulation was prepared using albumin protein conjugated with the targeting ligand, angiotensin II peptide to form nanoparticles following the ethanol desolvation method. The formulation was characterized for size, charge, and morphology and tested in a rat model of congestive heart failure to study pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and efficacy. The overall cardiac output parameters were evaluated comparing the formulation with the control non-targeted drug, milrinone lactate. This formulation exhibited improved pharmacokinetics with a mean retention time of 123.7 min, half-life of 101.3 min, and clearance rate of 0.24 L/(kg*h). The targeted formulation also significantly improved ejection fraction and fractional shortening parameters thus improving cardiac function. This study demonstrates a new approach in delivering inotropic drugs such as milrinone for superior treatment of congestive heart failure.

Polyphenol-assisted facile assembly of bioactive nanoparticles for targeted therapy of heart diseases

It remains a great challenge for targeted therapy of heart diseases. To achieve desirable heart targeting, we developed a polyphenol-assisted nanoprecipitation/self-assembly approach for facile engineering of functional nanoparticles. Three different materials were employed as representative carriers, while gallic acid, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, and tannic acid (TA) served as typical polyphenols with varied numbers of phenolic hydroxyl groups. By optimizing different parameters, such as polyphenol types and the weight ratio of carrier materials and polyphenols, well-defined nanoparticles with excellent physicochemical properties can be easily prepared. Regardless of various carrier materials, TA-derived nanoparticles showed potent reactive oxygen species-scavenging activity, especially nanoparticles produced from a cyclodextrin-derived bioactive material (TPCD). By internalization into cardiomyocytes, TPCD/TA nanoparticles (defined as TPTN) effectively protected cells from hypoxic-ischemic injury. After intravenous injection, TPTN considerably accumulated in the injured heart in two murine models of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest in rats and myocardial hypertrophy in mice. Correspondingly, intravenously delivered TPTN afforded excellent therapeutic effects in both heart diseases. Preliminary experiments also revealed good safety of TPTN. These results substantiated that TPTN is a promising nanotherapy for targeted treatment of heart diseases, while polyphenol-assisted self-assembly is a facile but robust strategy to develop heart-targeting delivery systems.

Biologics and their delivery systems: Trends in myocardial infarction

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death around the world, in which myocardial infarction (MI) is a precipitating event. However, current therapies do not adequately address the multiple dysregulated systems following MI. Consequently, recent studies have developed novel biologic delivery systems to more effectively address these maladies. This review utilizes a scientometric summary of the recent literature to identify trends among biologic delivery systems designed to treat MI. Emphasis is placed on sustained or targeted release of biologics (e.g. growth factors, nucleic acids, stem cells, chemokines) from common delivery systems (e.g. microparticles, nanocarriers, injectable hydrogels, implantable patches). We also evaluate biologic delivery system trends in the entire regenerative medicine field to identify emerging approaches that may translate to the treatment of MI. Future developments include immune system targeting through soluble factor or chemokine delivery, and the development of advanced delivery systems that facilitate the synergistic delivery of biologics.

Acetalated dextran based nano- and microparticles: synthesis, fabrication, and therapeutic applications

Acetalated dextran (Ac-DEX) is a pH-responsive dextran derivative polymer. Prepared by a simple acetalation reaction, Ac-DEX has tunable acid-triggered release profile. Despite its relatively short research history, Ac-DEX has shown great potential in various therapeutic applications. Furthermore, the recent functionalization of Ac-DEX makes versatile derivatives with additional properties. Herein, we summarize the cutting-edge development of Ac-DEX and related polymers. Specifically, we focus on the chemical synthesis, nano- and micro-particle fabrication techniques, the controlled-release mechanisms, and the rational design Ac-DEX-based of drug delivery systems in various biomedical applications. Finally, we briefly discuss the challenges and future perspectives in the field.

GATA-targeted compounds modulate cardiac subtype cell differentiation in dual reporter stem cell line

Background

Pharmacological modulation of cell fate decisions and developmental gene regulatory networks holds promise for the treatment of heart failure. Compounds that target tissue-specific transcription factors could overcome non-specific effects of small molecules and lead to the regeneration of heart muscle following myocardial infarction. Due to cellular heterogeneity in the heart, the activation of gene programs representing specific atrial and ventricular cardiomyocyte subtypes would be highly desirable. Chemical compounds that modulate atrial and ventricular cell fate could be used to improve subtype-specific differentiation of endogenous or exogenously delivered progenitor cells in order to promote cardiac regeneration.

Methods

Transcription factor GATA4-targeted compounds that have previously shown in vivo efficacy in cardiac injury models were tested for stage-specific activation of atrial and ventricular reporter genes in differentiating pluripotent stem cells using a dual reporter assay. Chemically induced gene expression changes were characterized by qRT-PCR, global run-on sequencing (GRO-seq) and immunoblotting, and the network of cooperative proteins of GATA4 and NKX2-5 were further explored by the examination of the GATA4 and NKX2-5 interactome by BioID. Reporter gene assays were conducted to examine combinatorial effects of GATA-targeted compounds and bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) inhibition on chamber-specific gene expression.

Results

GATA4-targeted compounds 3i-1000 and 3i-1103 were identified as differential modulators of atrial and ventricular gene expression. More detailed structure-function analysis revealed a distinct subclass of GATA4/NKX2-5 inhibitory compounds with an acetyl lysine-like domain that contributed to ventricular cells (%Myl2-eGFP+). Additionally, BioID analysis indicated broad interaction between GATA4 and BET family of proteins, such as BRD4. This indicated the involvement of epigenetic modulators in the regulation of GATA-dependent transcription. In this line, reporter gene assays with combinatorial treatment of 3i-1000 and the BET bromodomain inhibitor (+)-JQ1 demonstrated the cooperative role of GATA4 and BRD4 in the modulation of chamber-specific cardiac gene expression.

Conclusions

Collectively, these results indicate the potential for therapeutic alteration of cell fate decisions and pathological gene regulatory networks by GATA4-targeted compounds modulating chamber-specific transcriptional programs in multipotent cardiac progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes. The compound scaffolds described within this study could be used to develop regenerative strategies for myocardial regeneration.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-021-02259-z.

Nanostructured Polymeric, Liposomal and Other Materials to Control the Drug Delivery for Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, representing one third of global mortality. As existing therapies still have limited success, due to the inability to control the biodistribution of the currently approved drugs, the quality of life of these patients is modest. The advent of nanomedicine has brought new insights in innovative treatment strategies. For this reason, several novel nanotechnologies have been developed for both targeted and prolonged delivery of therapeutics to the cardiovascular system tο minimize side effects. In this regard, nanoparticles made of natural and/or synthetic nanomaterials, like liposomes, polymers or inorganic materials, are emerging alternatives for the encapsulation of already approved drugs to control their delivery in a targeted way. Therefore, nanomedicine has attracted the attention of the scientific community as a potential platform to deliver therapeutics to the injured heart. In this review, we discuss the current types of biomaterials that have been investigated as potential therapeutic interventions for CVDs as they open up a host of possibilities for more targeted and effective therapies, as well as minimally invasive treatments.

Hybrid red blood cell membrane coated porous silicon nanoparticles functionalized with cancer antigen induce depletion of T cells

Erythrocyte-based drug delivery systems have been investigated for their biocompatibility, long circulation time, and capability to transport cargo all around the body, thus presenting enormous potential in medical applications. In this study, we investigated hybrid nanoparticles consisting of nano-sized autologous or allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) membranes encapsulating porous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs). These NPs were functionalized with a model cancer antigen TRP2, which was either expressed on the surface of the RBCs by a cell membrane-mimicking block copolymer polydimethylsiloxane-b-poly-2-methyl-2-oxazoline, or attached on the PSi NPs, thus hidden within the encapsulation. When in the presence of peripheral blood immune cells, these NPs resulted in apoptotic cell death of T cells, where the NPs having TRP2 within the encapsulation led to a stronger T cell deletion. The deletion of the T cells did not change the relative proportion of CD4⁺ and cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells. Overall, this work shows the combination of nano-sized RBCs, PSi, and antigenic peptides may have use in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

We report a study on the effect of red blood cell membrane based cancer antigen-functionalized nanoparticles on peripheral blood T cells. These nanoparticles induce apoptosis of T cells and they may have use in treating autoimmune diseases.

Porous silicon nanomaterials: recent advances in surface engineering for controlled drug-delivery applications

Porous silicon (pSi) nanomaterials are increasingly attractive for biomedical applications due to their promising properties such as simple and feasible fabrication procedures, tunable morphology, versatile surface modification routes, biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review focuses on recent advances in surface modification of pSi for controlled drug delivery applications. A range of functionalization strategies and fabrication methods for pSi-polymer hybrids are summarized. Surface engineering solutions such as stimuli-responsive polymer grafting, stealth coatings and active targeting modifications are highlighted as examples to demonstrate what can be achieved. Finally, the current status of engineered pSi nanomaterials for in vivo applications is reviewed and future prospects and challenges in drug-delivery applications are discussed.

Instantaneous In Vivo Imaging of Acute Myocardial Infarct by NIR-II Luminescent Nanodots

Fast and precise localization of ischemic tissues in the myocardium after an acute infarct is required by clinicians as the first step toward accurate and efficient treatment. Nowadays, diagnosis of a heart attack at early times is based on biochemical blood analysis (detection of cardiac enzymes) or by ultrasound-assisted imaging. Alternative approaches are investigated to overcome the limitations of these classical techniques (time-consuming procedures or low spatial resolution). As occurs in many other fields of biomedicine, cardiological preclinical imaging can also benefit from the fast development of nanotechnology. Indeed, bio-functionalized near-infrared-emitting nanoparticles are herein used for in vivo imaging of the heart after an acute myocardial infarct. Taking advantage of the superior acquisition speed of near-infrared fluorescence imaging, and of the efficient selective targeting of the near-infrared-emitting nanoparticles, in vivo images of the infarcted heart are obtained only a few minutes after the acute infarction event. This work opens an avenue toward cost-effective, fast, and accurate in vivo imaging of the ischemic myocardium after an acute infarct.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery for Treatment of Ischemic Heart Disease

The regenerative capacity of an adult cardiac tissue is insufficient to repair the massive loss of heart tissue, particularly cardiomyocytes (CMs), following ischemia or other catastrophic myocardial injuries. The delivery methods of therapeutics agents, such as small molecules, growth factors, exosomes, cells, and engineered tissues have significantly advanced in medical science. Furthermore, with the controlled release characteristics, nanoparticle (NP) systems carrying drugs are promising in enhancing the cardioprotective potential of drugs in patients with cardiac ischemic events. NPs can provide sustained exposure precisely to the infarcted heart via direct intramyocardial injection or intravenous injection with active targets. In this review, we present the recent advances and challenges of different types of NPs loaded with agents for the repair of myocardial infarcted heart tissue.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the foremost causes of high morbidity and mortality globally. Preventive, diagnostic, and treatment measures available for CVDs are not very useful, which demands promising alternative methods. Nanoscience and nanotechnology open a new window in the area of CVDs with an opportunity to achieve effective treatment, better prognosis, and less adverse effects on non-target tissues. The application of nanoparticles and nanocarriers in the area of cardiology has gathered much attention due to the properties such as passive and active targeting to the cardiac tissues, improved target specificity, and sensitivity. It has reported that more than 50% of CVDs can be treated effectively through the use of nanotechnology. The main goal of this review is to explore the recent advancements in nanoparticle-based cardiovascular drug carriers. This review also summarizes the difficulties associated with the conventional treatment modalities in comparison to the nanomedicine for CVDs.

GATA4-targeted compound exhibits cardioprotective actions against doxorubicin-induced toxicity in vitro and in vivo: establishment of a chronic cardiotoxicity model using human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes

Doxorubicin is a widely used anticancer drug that causes dose-related cardiotoxicity. The exact mechanisms of doxorubicin toxicity are still unclear, partly because most in vitro studies have evaluated the effects of short-term high-dose doxorubicin treatments. Here, we developed an in vitro model of long-term low-dose administration of doxorubicin utilizing human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Moreover, given that current strategies for prevention and management of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity fail to prevent cancer patients developing heart failure, we also investigated whether the GATA4-targeted compound 3i-1000 has cardioprotective potential against doxorubicin toxicity both in vitro and in vivo. The final doxorubicin concentration used in the chronic toxicity model in vitro was chosen based on cell viability data evaluation. Exposure to doxorubicin at the concentrations of 1–3 µM markedly reduced (60%) hiPSC-CM viability already within 48 h, while a 14-day treatment with 100 nM doxorubicin concentration induced only a modest 26% reduction in hiPCS-CM viability. Doxorubicin treatment also decreased DNA content in hiPSC-CMs. Interestingly, the compound 3i-1000 attenuated doxorubicin-induced increase in pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (proBNP) expression and caspase-3/7 activation in hiPSC-CMs. Moreover, treatment with 3i-1000 for 2 weeks (30 mg/kg/day, i.p.) inhibited doxorubicin cardiotoxicity by restoring left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening in chronic in vivo rat model. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that long-term exposure of hiPSC-CMs can be utilized as an in vitro model of delayed doxorubicin-induced toxicity and provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that targeting GATA4 may be an effective strategy to counteract doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Fabrication and Characterization of Drug-Loaded Conductive Poly(glycerol sebacate)/Nanoparticle-Based Composite Patch for Myocardial Infarction Applications

Heart tissue engineering is critical in the treatment of myocardial infarction, which may benefit from drug-releasing smart materials. In this study, we load a small molecule (3i-1000) in new biodegradable and conductive patches for application in infarcted myocardium. The composite patches consist of a biocompatible elastomer, poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS), coupled with collagen type I, used to promote cell attachment. In addition, polypyrrole is incorporated because of its electrical conductivity and to induce cell signaling. Results from the in vitro experiments indicate a high density of cardiac myoblast cells attached on the patches, which stay viable for at least 1 month. The degradation of the patches does not show any cytotoxic effect, while 3i-1000 delivery induces cell proliferation. Conductive patches show high blood wettability and drug release, correlating with the rate of degradation of the PGS matrix. Together with the electrical conductivity and elongation characteristics, the developed biomaterial fits the mechanical, conductive, and biological demands required for cardiac treatment.

Dual-peptide functionalized acetalated dextran-based nanoparticles for sequential targeting of macrophages during myocardial infarction

The advent of nanomedicine has recently started to innovate the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, in particular myocardial infarction. Although current approaches are very promising, there is still an urgent need for advanced targeting strategies. In this work, the exploitation of macrophage recruitment is proposed as a novel and synergistic approach to improve the addressability of the infarcted myocardium achieved by current peptide-based heart targeting strategies. For this purpose, an acetalated dextran-based nanosystem is designed and successfully functionalized with two different peptides, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and linTT1, which target, respectively, cardiac cells and macrophages associated with atherosclerotic plaques. The biocompatibility of the nanocarrier is screened on both macrophage cell lines and primary macrophages, showing high safety, in particular after functionalization of the nanoparticles' surface. Furthermore, the system shows higher association versus uptake ratio towards M2-like macrophages (approximately 2-fold and 6-fold increase in murine and human primary M2-like macrophages, respectively, compared to M1-like). Overall, the results demonstrate that the nanosystem has potential to exploit the "hitchhike" effect on M2-like macrophages and potentially improve, in a dual targeting strategy, the ability of the ANP peptide to target infarcted heart.

Site-Specific 111In-Radiolabeling of Dual-PEGylated Porous Silicon Nanoparticles and Their In Vivo Evaluation in Murine 4T1 Breast Cancer Model

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been successfully used for improving circulation time of several nanomaterials but prolonging the circulation of porous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs) has remained challenging. Here, we report a site specific radiolabeling of dual-PEGylated thermally oxidized porous silicon (DPEG-TOPSi) NPs and investigation of influence of the PEGylation on blood circulation time of TOPSi NPs. Trans-cyclooctene conjugated DPEG-TOPSi NPs were radiolabeled through a click reaction with [¹¹¹In]In-DOTA-PEG₄-tetrazine (DOTA = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid) and the particle behavior was evaluated in vivo in Balb/c mice bearing 4T1 murine breast cancer allografts. The dual-PEGylation significantly prolonged circulation of [¹¹¹In]In-DPEG-TOPSi particles when compared to non-PEGylated control particles, yielding 10.8 ± 1.7% of the injected activity/g in blood at 15 min for [¹¹¹In]In-DPEG-TOPSi NPs. The improved circulation time will be beneficial for the accumulation of targeted DPEG-TOPSi to tumors.

Synthesis, Identification, and Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of GATA4 and NKX2-5 Protein-Protein Interaction Modulators

Transcription factors GATA4 and NKX2-5 directly interact and synergistically activate several cardiac genes and stretch-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Previously, we identified phenylisoxazole carboxamide 1 as a hit compound, which inhibited the GATA4–NKX2-5 transcriptional synergy. Here, the chemical space around the molecular structure of 1 was explored by synthesizing and characterizing 220 derivatives and structurally related compounds. In addition to the synergistic transcriptional activation, selected compounds were evaluated for their effects on transcriptional activities of GATA4 and NKX2-5 individually as well as potential cytotoxicity. The structure–activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that the aromatic isoxazole substituent in the southern part regulates the inhibition of GATA4–NKX2-5 transcriptional synergy. Moreover, inhibition of GATA4 transcriptional activity correlated with the reduced cell viability. In summary, comprehensive SAR analysis accompanied by data analysis successfully identified potent and selective inhibitors of GATA4–NKX2-5 transcriptional synergy and revealed structural features important for it.

Targeting GATA4 for cardiac repair

Various strategies have been applied to replace the loss of cardiomyocytes in order to restore reduced cardiac function and prevent the progression of heart disease. Intensive research efforts in the field of cellular reprogramming and cell transplantation may eventually lead to efficient in vivo applications for the treatment of cardiac injuries, representing a novel treatment strategy for regenerative medicine. Modulation of cardiac transcription factor (TF) networks by chemical entities represents another viable option for therapeutic interventions. Comprehensive screening projects have revealed a number of molecular entities acting on molecular pathways highly critical for cellular lineage commitment and differentiation, including compounds targeting Wnt- and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ)-signaling. Furthermore, previous studies have demonstrated that GATA4 and NKX2-5 are essential TFs in gene regulation of cardiac development and hypertrophy. For example, both of these TFs are required to fully activate mechanical stretch-responsive genes such as atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). We have previously reported that the compound 3i-1000 efficiently inhibited the synergy of the GATA4-NKX2-5 interaction. Cellular effects of 3i-1000 have been further characterized in a number of confirmatory in vitro bioassays, including rat cardiac myocytes and animal models of ischemic injury and angiotensin II-induced pressure overload, suggesting the potential for small molecule-induced cardioprotection.