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Zhou Y, Wang X, Zhang D, Cui H, Tian X, Du W, Yang Z, Wan D, Qiu Z, Liu C, Yang Z, Zhang L, Yang Q, Xu X, Li W, Wang D, Huang H, Wu W. Precision-Guided Stealth Missiles in Biomedicine: Biological Carrier-Mediated Nanomedicine Hitchhiking Strategy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2025:e2504672. [PMID: 40345158 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202504672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2025] [Revised: 04/14/2025] [Indexed: 05/11/2025]
Abstract
Nanodrug delivery systems (NDDS) have demonstrated broad application prospects in disease treatment, prevention, and diagnosis due to several advantages, including functionalization capability, high drug-loading capacity, drug stability protection, and the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. However, their clinical translation still faces multiple challenges, including rapid clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES), poor targeting specificity, and insufficient efficiency in crossing biological barriers. To address these limitations, researchers have developed the biological carrier-mediated nanomedicine hitchhiking strategy (BCM-NHS), which leverages circulating cells, proteins, or bacteria as natural "mobile carriers" to enhance drug delivery. This approach enables nanocarriers to inherit the intrinsic biological properties, endowing them with immune evasion, prolonged circulation, dynamic targeting, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and naturally optimized biological interfaces. Here, a systematic overview of the BCM-NHS is provided. First, the review delves into the methods of nanoparticles (NPs) binding and immobilization, encompassing both the surface-attachment-mediated "backpack" strategy and the encapsulation-based "Trojan horse" strategy. Second, the classification of biological carriers, including both cell-based and non-cell-based carriers, is elucidated. Third, the physical properties and release mechanisms of these nanomaterials are thoroughly described. Finally, the latest applications of BCM-NHS in therapeutic and diagnostic contexts across various disease models including tumor, ischemic stroke, and pneumonia are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyan Zhou
- Central Laboratory and Department of Medical Ultrasound, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610072, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xinyue Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Deyu Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Hanxiao Cui
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaorong Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Wei Du
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Zhenghui Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Dongling Wan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Zhiwei Qiu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Zhicheng Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Lizhihong Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, 519041, China
| | - Qiusheng Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Xuefeng Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Wenhao Li
- Central Laboratory and Department of Medical Ultrasound, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610072, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Central Laboratory and Department of Medical Ultrasound, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610072, China
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Wencheng Wu
- Central Laboratory and Department of Medical Ultrasound, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610072, China
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Patel N, Avery E, Huang Y, Chung EJ. Developing Therapeutically Enhanced Extracellular Vesicles for Atherosclerosis Therapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2025; 14:e2404398. [PMID: 40192440 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202404398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2025] [Indexed: 05/17/2025]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic condition and the leading cause of death worldwide. While statin therapy is the clinical standard, many patients still experience acute cardiovascular events. To develop better therapies, the group previously delivered microRNA-145 (miR-145) via micellar nanoparticles to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to inhibit atherosclerosis. However, for chronic diseases requiring repeat dosing, synthetic nanoparticles have drawbacks such as immunogenic response and low delivery efficiency. To meet this challenge, therapeutically enhanced extracellular vesicles (EVs) are engineered as a biologically-derived nanoparticle modality to mitigate atherosclerosis. A novel strategy is employed to load miR-145 into EVs using ExoMotifs-short miRNA sequences that facilitate miR cargo loading. EVs are further functionalized with a monocyte chemoattractant 1 (MCP-1) peptide, which binds to C-C chemokine receptor 2 upregulated in pathogenic VSMCs. Mouse aortic smooth muscle cell MCP-1-miR-145 EVs restored VSMC gene expression and function in vitro. Moreover, compared to miR-145-loaded synthetic nanoparticles, MCP-1-miR-145 EVs exerted similar therapeutic effects but with 25,000x less miR-145 cargo. Lastly, MCP-1-miR-145 EVs inhibited plaque growth in mid-stage ApoE-/- atherosclerotic mice at a miR-145 dose 5000x less than synthetic nanoparticles. Collectively, it is demonstrated that genetic engineering of VSMCs with miR-145 produces therapeutically boosted EVs that reduce atherosclerosis plaque burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Patel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Elijah Avery
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eun Ji Chung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Ashraf A, Huang Y, Choroomi A, Johnson K, Torres J, Chung EJ. Endothelial-targeting miR-145 micelles restore barrier function and exhibit atheroprotective effects. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2025; 10:976-986. [PMID: 40130343 DOI: 10.1039/d4nh00613e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2025]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of death worldwide and is characterized by the accumulation of plaque beneath the endothelium. MicroRNA-145-5p (miR-145), which is downregulated in atherosclerosis, has been shown to mitigate plaque development by promoting the contractile vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype. Previously, our lab found that miR-145 micelles conjugated with MCP-1 peptides were able to inhibit atherosclerosis by targeting diseased VSMC via C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2). Diseased endothelial cells similarly express CCR2; however, the impact of miR-145 micelles on endothelial cell function has not been explored. Thus, in this study, the in vitro therapeutic effects of miR-145 micelles in modulating the endothelium during atherosclerosis are evaluated. To that end, the MCP-1 peptide density on the micelle surface was first optimized for activated endothelial cell binding, followed by loading miR-145 into micelles with the optimal MCP-1 ratio. Following characterization, miR-145 micelle treatment of activated endothelial cells resulted in efficient miR-145 transfection, upregulation of atheroprotective genes, and suppression of atherogenic genes. Furthermore, the treatment enhanced the integrity of endothelial tight junctions and reduced monocyte migration. This work establishes miR-145 micelles as an effective nanotherapeutic for restoring endothelial cell health in cardiovascular disease for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisa Ashraf
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Auveen Choroomi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Kyla Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Jocelynn Torres
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Eun Ji Chung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
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Liu J, He Z, Qin X, Zhang K, Qu K, Zhong Y, Yang W, Wu W. Macrophage membrane enveloped on double-locked nanoplatform with right-side-out orientation to improving precise theranostic for atherosclerosis. J Control Release 2025; 380:800-817. [PMID: 39961434 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2024] [Revised: 01/21/2025] [Accepted: 02/13/2025] [Indexed: 02/21/2025]
Abstract
A right-side-out orientated self-assembly of cell membrane-camouflaged theranostic nanoplatform is crucial for ensuring their biological functionality inherited from the source cells. However, the low specificity and fluorescence background interference hampered reliable assessment of lipids content in plaques. In this work, a spontaneous right-side-out coupling-driven ROS-responsive theranostic nanoplatform has been developed to enhance accumulation within atherosclerotic plaques, target lipids imaging in plaques, reduce the interference from background fluorescence and inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis (AS). A ROS-responsive lipid-unlocked fluorescent probe is constructed, followed by loading rapamycin (RAP) for safe and efficient AS therapy. Moreover, the theranostic nanoplatform is functionalized with PS-targeted peptide for binding to phosphatidylserine located on the inner leaflet of the macrophage membrane, harvesting a right-side-out-orientated coating theranostics formulation (M-TPCR) for the reliable imaging of lipids in lipids-sufficient Hela cells, foam cells and atherosclerotic plaques while keeping in fluorescence off in lipid-deficient environments, such as M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages and blood. Most importantly, the FL signals of M-TPCR are positively correlated with lipid content across foam cells, isolated aorta or aortic root sections, confirming its reliability in indicating plaques. Hence, M-TPCR provides a powerful approach for developing the biomimetic cell membrane camouflaged nanotechnology and delivers an impressive potential on the therapeutic efficacy monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Zhigui He
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xian Qin
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Kai Qu
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yuan Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China; JinFeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China.
| | - Weihu Yang
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China.
| | - Wei Wu
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing 400044, China; JinFeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China.
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5
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Eremina OE, Vazquez C, Larson KN, Mouchawar A, Fernando A, Zavaleta C. The evolution of immune profiling: will there be a role for nanoparticles? NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2024; 9:1896-1924. [PMID: 39254004 PMCID: PMC11887860 DOI: 10.1039/d4nh00279b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Immune profiling provides insights into the functioning of the immune system, including the distribution, abundance, and activity of immune cells. This understanding is essential for deciphering how the immune system responds to pathogens, vaccines, tumors, and other stimuli. Analyzing diverse immune cell types facilitates the development of personalized medicine approaches by characterizing individual variations in immune responses. With detailed immune profiles, clinicians can tailor treatment strategies to the specific immune status and needs of each patient, maximizing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. In this review, we discuss the evolution of immune profiling, from interrogating bulk cell samples in solution to evaluating the spatially-rich molecular profiles across intact preserved tissue sections. We also review various multiplexed imaging platforms recently developed, based on immunofluorescence and imaging mass spectrometry, and their impact on the field of immune profiling. Identifying and localizing various immune cell types across a patient's sample has already provided important insights into understanding disease progression, the development of novel targeted therapies, and predicting treatment response. We also offer a new perspective by highlighting the unprecedented potential of nanoparticles (NPs) that can open new horizons in immune profiling. NPs are known to provide enhanced detection sensitivity, targeting specificity, biocompatibility, stability, multimodal imaging features, and multiplexing capabilities. Therefore, we summarize the recent developments and advantages of NPs, which can contribute to advancing our understanding of immune function to facilitate precision medicine. Overall, NPs have the potential to offer a versatile and robust approach to profile the immune system with improved efficiency and multiplexed imaging power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga E Eremina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Celine Vazquez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Kimberly N Larson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Anthony Mouchawar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Augusta Fernando
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Cristina Zavaleta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
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Fu X, Cai Z, Fu S, Cai H, Li M, Gu H, Jin R, Xia C, Lui S, Song B, Gong Q, Ai H. Porphyrin-Based Self-Assembled Nanoparticles for PET/MR Imaging of Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:27139-27150. [PMID: 38752591 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c03611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Diagnosing of lymph node metastasis is challenging sometimes, and multimodal imaging offers a promising method to improve the accuracy. This work developed porphyrin-based nanoparticles (68Ga-F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs) as PET/MR dual-modal probes for lymph node metastasis imaging by a simple self-assembly method. Compared with F127-TCPP(Mn) NPs, F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs synthesized by amino-porphyrins (TAPP) doping can not only construct PET/MR bimodal probes but also improve the T1 relaxivity (up to 456%). Moreover, T1 relaxivity can be adjusted by altering the molar ratio of TAPP/TCPP(Mn) and the concentration of F127. However, a similar increase in T1 relaxivity was not observed in the F127-TCPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs, which were synthesized using carboxy-porphyrins (TCPP) doping. In a breast cancer lymph node metastasis mice model, subcutaneous injection of 68Ga-F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs through the hind foot pad, the normal lymph nodes and metastatic lymph nodes were successfully distinguished based on the difference of PET standard uptake values and MR signal intensities. Furthermore, the dark brown F127-TAPP/TCPP(Mn) NPs demonstrated the potential for staining and mapping lymph nodes. This study provides valuable insights into developing and applying PET/MR probes for lymph node metastasis imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Fu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Department of Radiology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 614001, China
| | - Zhongyuan Cai
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Shengxiang Fu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huawei Cai
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mufeng Li
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Haojie Gu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Rongrong Jin
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Chunchao Xia
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Su Lui
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bin Song
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hua Ai
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Huang Y, Osouli A, Pham J, Mancino V, O'Grady C, Khan T, Chaudhuri B, Pastor-Soler NM, Hallows KR, Chung EJ. Investigation of Basolateral Targeting Micelles for Drug Delivery Applications in Polycystic Kidney Disease. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:2749-2761. [PMID: 38652072 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a complex disorder characterized by uncontrolled renal cyst growth, leading to kidney function decline. The multifaceted nature of ADPKD suggests that single-pathway interventions using individual small molecule drugs may not be optimally effective. As such, a strategy encompassing combination therapy that addresses multiple ADPKD-associated signaling pathways could offer synergistic therapeutic results. However, severe off-targeting side effects of small molecule drugs pose a major hurdle to their clinical transition. To address this, we identified four drug candidates from ADPKD clinical trials, bardoxolone methyl (Bar), octreotide (Oct), salsalate (Sal), and pravastatin (Pra), and incorporated them into peptide amphiphile micelles containing the RGD peptide (GRGDSP), which binds to the basolateral surface of renal tubules via integrin receptors on the extracellular matrix. We hypothesized that encapsulating drug combinations into RGD micelles would enable targeting to the basolateral side of renal tubules, which is the site of disease, via renal secretion, leading to superior therapeutic benefits compared to free drugs. To test this, we first evaluated the synergistic effect of drug combinations using the 20% inhibitory concentration for each drug (IC20) on renal proximal tubule cells derived from Pkd1flox/-:TSLargeT mice. Next, we synthesized and characterized the RGD micelles encapsulated with drug combinations and measured their in vitro therapeutic effects via a 3D PKD growth model. Upon both IV and IP injections in vivo, RGD micelles showed a significantly higher accumulation in the kidneys compared to NT micelles, and the renal access of RGD micelles was significantly reduced after the inhibition of renal secretion. Specifically, both Bar+Oct and Bar+Sal in the RGD micelle treatment showed enhanced therapeutic efficacy in ADPKD mice (Pkd1fl/fl;Pax8-rtTA;Tet-O-Cre) with a significantly lower KW/BW ratio and cyst index as compared to PBS and free drug-treated controls, while other combinations did not show a significant difference. Hence, we demonstrate that renal targeting through basolateral targeting micelles enhances the therapeutic potential of combination therapy in genetic kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Ali Osouli
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Jessica Pham
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
| | - Valeria Mancino
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
| | - Colette O'Grady
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Taranatee Khan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Baishali Chaudhuri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Nuria M Pastor-Soler
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
| | - Kenneth R Hallows
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
| | - Eun Ji Chung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
- Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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8
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Huang Y, Wang J, Mancino V, Pham J, O’Grady C, Li H, Jiang K, Chin D, Poon C, Ho PY, Gyarmati G, Peti-Peterdi J, Hallows KR, Chung EJ. Oral delivery of nanomedicine for genetic kidney disease. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae187. [PMID: 38807632 PMCID: PMC11131023 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Chronic and genetic kidney diseases such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) have few therapeutic options, and clinical trials testing small molecule drugs have been unfavorable due to low kidney bioavailability and adverse side effects. Although nanoparticles can be designed to deliver drugs directly to the diseased site, there are no kidney-targeted nanomedicines clinically available, and most FDA-approved nanoparticles are administered intravenously which is not ideal for chronic diseases. To meet these challenges of chronic diseases, we developed a biomaterials-based strategy using chitosan particles (CP) for oral delivery of therapeutic, kidney-targeting peptide amphiphile micelles (KMs). We hypothesized that encapsuling KMs into CP would enhance the bioavailability of KMs upon oral administration given the high stability of chitosan in acidic conditions and mucoadhesive properties enabling absorption within the intestines. To test this, we evaluated the mechanism of KM access to the kidneys via intravital imaging and investigated the KM biodistribution in a porcine model. Next, we loaded KMs carrying the ADPKD drug metformin into CP (KM-CP-met) and measured in vitro therapeutic effect. Upon oral administration in vivo, KM-CP-met showed significantly greater bioavailability and accumulation in the kidneys as compared to KM only or free drug. As such, KM-CP-met treatment in ADPKD mice (Pkd1fl/fl;Pax8-rtTA;Tet-O-Cre which develops the disease over 120 days and mimics the slow development of ADPKD) showed enhanced therapeutic efficacy without affecting safety despite repeated treatment. Herein, we demonstrate the potential of KM-CP as a nanomedicine strategy for oral delivery for the long-term treatment of chronic kidney diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Jonathan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Valeria Mancino
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jessica Pham
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Colette O’Grady
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Kairui Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Deborah Chin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Christopher Poon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Pei-Yin Ho
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Georgina Gyarmati
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, and Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - János Peti-Peterdi
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, and Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Kenneth R Hallows
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Eun Ji Chung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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