Shear Stress and ROS Dual-Responsive RBC-Hitchhiking Nanoparticles for Atherosclerosis Therapy

Advancing atherosclerosis treatment: Drug encapsulation nanosystems and synthetic HDL nanoparticles

Atherosclerosis, characterized by plaque accumulation in arterial walls, remains a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Current pharmacological treatments often lack efficacy in halting disease progression or addressing systemic complications. Nanotechnology offers promising solutions, including targeted drug delivery, enhanced bioavailability, and the ability to overcome biological barriers. This review explores the integration of drug-delivery nanosystems and synthetic high-density lipoprotein (HDL) nanoparticles into therapeutic strategies. Synthetic HDL nanoparticles not only serve as effective carriers for antidyslipidemic drugs but also act directly as functional HDL, improving lipid profiles and reducing systemic side effects. By enabling localized treatment and enhancing therapeutic precision, nanotechnology and synthetic HDL nanoparticles represent a paradigm shift in managing atherosclerosis, offering safer and more effective alternatives for preventing its life-threatening complications.

Cellular determinants influence the red blood cell adsorption efficiency of poly(amine-co-ester) nanoparticles

Many poly(amine-co-ester) (PACE) nanoparticles, drug delivery vehicles for nucleic acid and small molecule cargoes, accumulate in the liver and spleen following intravenous administration, limiting delivery to nonhepatosplenic tissues. Red blood cell (RBC) hitchhiking, a strategy in which nanoparticles are nonspecifically adsorbed to RBCs prior to administration, has been used to modulate nanoparticle biodistribution, enabling enrichment in organs immediately downstream from the site of vascular infusion. We find that scarcely investigated cellular determinants-namely, storage duration, membrane stiffness, and membrane-bound sialic acid quantity-substantially affect PACE nanoparticle adsorption efficiency. Following development of an optimized adsorption protocol, RBC hitchhiking was shown to enhance PACE nanoparticle cargo delivery to pulmonary tissue while also increasing exposure to other assayed organs. These findings inform future RBC hitchhiking study design, implicate cellular variables as potential obstacles or boons to clinical translation, and demonstrate the delivery of nucleic acids using this strategy with the PACE nanoparticle platform.

Radiation-Activated Cobalt-Based Zeolite Imidazolate Frameworks for Tumor Multitherapy

Radiation dynamic therapy (RDT) is known to induce cancer apoptosis and death with minimal side effects and high accuracy. However, low efficiency of radiation sensitization and persistent hypoxic environment in tumors pose marked challenges for successful RDT. To address these challenges, a novel biodegradable drug delivery system was developed, using quercetin and sorafenib-loaded ZIF67 nanoparticles (QSZP NPs) coated with polydopamine. This system effectively controlled the tumor microenvironment (TME), overcame hypoxia, and was thus utilized for collaborative RDT and radiotherapy (RT). The QSZP NPs demonstrated great potential in x-ray sensitization and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated effects in vitro. Furthermore, they continuously generated oxygen and increased ROS levels in the TME with x-ray irradiation to achieve RDT. In vivo studies showed that QSZP NPs had no apparent systemic toxicity and showed good therapeutic effect in a HepG2 tumor-bearing model. Due to its unique and outstanding combinational effect of RDT/RT/antiangiogenic cancer therapy, these synthesized NPs offer a promising method for radiation-based cancer treatment.

Advances in stimulus-responsive nanomedicine for treatment and diagnosis of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS), an inflammatory cardiovascular disease driven by lipid deposition, presents global prevalence with high mortality. Effective anti-inflammatory or lipid removal is a promising strategy. However, current conventional drug delivery methods may face challenges in targeting disease sites and are deficient in the treatment of AS because of the nonspecific tissue distribution and uncontrollable release of the drug. In contrast, stimulus-responsive nanodrug delivery systems (NDDSs) can respond to stimulation and achieve controlled drug release rates at specific disease sites owing to the abnormal pathological microenvironment in plaques with low pH, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enzymes, and high shear stress. As a consequence, the efficacy of treatment is improved, and adverse reactions are reduced. On the other hand, NDDSs can combine exogenous stimulus responses (photothermal, ultrasound, etc.) to precisely control their function in time and space. This review for the first time focuses on the application of stimulus-responsive NDDSs in the treatment and diagnosis of AS in the last five years. In addition, its pivotal challenges and prospects are emphasized, aiming to facilitate its application for AS.

Biomimetic Nanoparticles for the Diagnosis and Therapy of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammation of blood vessels, which often has no obvious symptoms in the early stage of the disease, but when atherosclerotic plaques are formed, they often cause lumen blockage, and even plaque rupture leads to thrombosis, that is the essential factor of cardiovascular events, for example myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and renal atrophy. Therefore, it is considerably significant for the early recognition and precise therapy of plaque. Biomimetic nanoparticles (BNPs), especially those coated with cell membranes, can retain the biological function of cell membranes or cells, which has led to extensive research and application in the diagnosis and treatment of AS in recent years. In this review, we summarized the roles of various key cells in AS progression, the construction of biomimetic nanoparticles based on these key cells as well as their applications in AS diagnosis and therapy. Furthermore, we give a challenge and prospect of biomimetic nanoparticles in AS, hoping to elevate their application quality and the possibility of clinical translation.

Biomembrane-Modified Biomimetic Nanodrug Delivery Systems: Frontier Platforms for Cardiovascular Disease Treatment

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite significant advances in current drug therapies, issues such as poor drug targeting and severe side effects persist. In recent years, nanomedicine has been extensively applied in the research and treatment of CVDs. Among these, biomembrane-modified biomimetic nanodrug delivery systems (BNDSs) have emerged as a research focus due to their unique biocompatibility and efficient drug delivery capabilities. By modifying with biological membranes, BNDSs can effectively reduce recognition and clearance by the immune system, enhance biocompatibility and circulation time in vivo, and improve drug targeting. This review first provides an overview of the classification and pathological mechanisms of CVDs, then systematically summarizes the research progress of BNDSs in the treatment of CVDs, discussing their design principles, functional characteristics, and clinical application potential. Finally, it highlights the issues and challenges faced in the clinical translation of BNDSs.

Biomedical applications of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials

Nanomaterials have aroused great interests in drug delivery due to their nanoscale structure, facile modifiability, and multifunctional physicochemical properties. Currently, stimuli-responsive nanomaterials that can respond to endogenous or exogenous stimulus display strong potentials in biomedical applications. In comparison with conventional nanomaterials, stimuli-responsive nanomaterials can improve therapeutic efficiency and reduce the toxicity of drugs toward normal tissues through specific targeting and on-demand drug release at pathological sites. In this review, we summarize the responsive mechanism of a variety of stimulus, including pH, redox, and enzymes within pathological microenvironment, as well as exogenous stimulus such as thermal effect, magnetic field, light, and ultrasound. After that, biomedical applications (e.g., drug delivery, imaging, and theranostics) of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials in a diverse array of common diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurological disorders, inflammation, and bacterial infection, are presented and discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges and outlooks of future research directions for the biomedical applications of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials are also discussed. We hope that this review can provide valuable guidance for developing stimuli-responsive nanomaterials and accelerate their biomedical applications in diseases diagnosis and treatment.

Targeted Delivery of Nanoparticles to Blood Vessels for the Treatment of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a common form of cardiovascular disease, which is one of the most prevalent causes of death worldwide, particularly among older individuals. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for severe stenotic lesions, though the rate of restenosis remains relatively high. Current medication therapy for atherosclerosis has limited efficacy in reversing the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. The search for new drug treatment options is imminent. Some potent medications have shown surprising therapeutic benefits in inhibiting inflammation and endothelial proliferation in plaques. Unfortunately, their use is restricted due to notable dose-dependent systemic side effects or degradation. Nevertheless, with advances in nanotechnology, an increasing number of nano-related medical applications are emerging, such as nano-drug delivery, nano-imaging, nanorobots, and so forth, which allow for restrictions on the use of novel atherosclerotic drugs to be lifted. This paper reviews new perspectives on the targeted delivery of nanoparticles to blood vessels for the treatment of atherosclerosis in both systemic and local drug delivery. In systemic drug delivery, nanoparticles inhibit drug degradation and reduce systemic toxicity through passive and active pathways. To further enhance the precise release of drugs, the localized delivery of nanoparticles can also be accomplished through blood vessel wall injection or using endovascular interventional devices coated with nanoparticles. Overall, nanotechnology holds boundless potential for the diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerotic diseases in the future.

Platelet rich fibrin and simvastatin-loaded pectin-based 3D printed-electrospun bilayer scaffold for skin tissue regeneration

Designing multifunctional wound dressings is a prerequisite to prevent infection and stimulate healing. In this study, a bilayer scaffold (BS) with a top layer (TL) comprising 3D printed pectin/polyacrylic acid/platelet rich fibrin hydrogel (Pec/PAA/PRF) and a bottom nanofibrous layer (NL) containing Pec/PAA/simvastatin (SIM) was produced. The biodegradable and biocompatible polymers Pec and PAA were cross-linked to form hydrogels via Ca2+ activation through galacturonate linkage and chelation, respectively. PRF as an autologous growth factor (GF) source and SIM together augmented angiogenesis and neovascularization. Because of 3D printing, the BS possessed a uniform distribution of PRF in TL and an average fiber diameter of 96.71 ± 18.14 nm was obtained in NL. The Young's modulus of BS was recorded as 6.02 ± 0.31 MPa and its elongation at break was measured as 30.16 ± 2.70 %. The wound dressing gradually released growth factors over 7 days of investigation. Furthermore, the BS significantly outperformed other groups in increasing cell viability and in vivo wound closure rate (95.80 ± 3.47 % after 14 days). Wounds covered with BS healed faster with more collagen deposition and re-epithelialization. The results demonstrate that the BS can be a potential remedy for skin tissue regeneration.