Macrophage-biomimetic anti-inflammatory liposomes for homing and treating of aortic dissection

Abstract

Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening disease featured by the dissection of intimal layer and the formation of a blood-filled false lumen within the aortic wall. Recent studies revealed that the formation and progression of AD lesions is closely related to vascular inflammation and macrophage infiltration. However, the potential efficacy of anti-inflammatory therapy on the prevention and treatment of AD has not been extensively investigated. Herein, we proposed a biomimetic anti-inflammatory liposome (PM/TN-CCLP) co-loaded with curcumin and celecoxib (CC), modified with cell-penetrating TAT-NBD fusion peptide (TN), and further camouflaged by isolated macrophage plasma membrane (PM), as a potential nanotherapy for AD. In vitro results showed that PM/TN-CCLP exhibited low cytotoxicity and elevated cellular uptake by inflammatory macrophages, and prominently inhibited the transendothelial migration, inflammatory responses and ROS generation of macrophages. Moreover, the PM/TN-CCLP treatment significantly prevented the H₂O₂-induced smooth muscle cell apoptosis. In vivo experiments were performed on the acute and chronic AD mouse models, respectively. The results verified the elevated accumulation of PM-camouflaged liposome at the aorta lesions. Further, the anti-inflammatory liposomes, especially PM/TN-CCLP, could reduce the rupture rate of dissection, prevent the loss of elastic fibers, and reduce MMP-9 expression as well as macrophage infiltration in the aortic lesions. Notably, as compared with free drugs and TN-CCLP, the PM/TN-CCLP treatment displayed the longest survival period along with the minimal aortic injury on both acute and chronic AD mice. Taken together, the present study suggested that the macrophage-biomimetic anti-inflammatory nanotherapy would be a promising strategy for the prevention and therapy of aortic dissection.

Keywords: Anti-inflammation; Aortic dissection; Biomimetic liposome; Cardiovascular inflammation; Monocytes/macrophages.