Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive size-reducible nanoassemblies for deeper atherosclerotic plaque penetration and enhanced macrophage-targeted drug delivery

Jianhua He; Wenli Zhang; Xiaoju Zhou; Fengfei Xu; Jiahui Zou; Qiqi Zhang; Yi Zhao; Hongliang He; Hu Yang; Jianping Liu

doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.03.041

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive size-reducible nanoassemblies for deeper atherosclerotic plaque penetration and enhanced macrophage-targeted drug delivery

Bioact Mater. 2022 Apr 7:19:115-126. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.03.041. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Jianhua He¹, Wenli Zhang¹, Xiaoju Zhou¹, Fengfei Xu¹, Jiahui Zou¹, Qiqi Zhang¹, Yi Zhao², Hongliang He³, Hu Yang⁴, Jianping Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, PR China.
² School of Biomedical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, PR China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Devices, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, PR China.
⁴ Linda and Bipin Doshi Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, 65401, United States.

Abstract

Nanoparticle-based therapeutics represent potential strategies for treating atherosclerosis; however, the complex plaque microenvironment poses a barrier for nanoparticles to target the dysfunctional cells. Here, we report reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive and size-reducible nanoassemblies, formed by multivalent host-guest interactions between β-cyclodextrins (β-CD)-anchored discoidal recombinant high-density lipoprotein (NP³ _ST) and hyaluronic acid-ferrocene (HA-Fc) conjugates. The HA-Fc/NP³ _ST nanoassemblies have extended blood circulation time, specifically accumulate in atherosclerotic plaque mediated by the HA receptors CD44 highly expressed in injured endothelium, rapidly disassemble in response to excess ROS in the intimal and release smaller NP³ _ST, allowing for further plaque penetration, macrophage-targeted cholesterol efflux and drug delivery. In vivo pharmacodynamicses in atherosclerotic mice shows that HA-Fc/NP³ _ST reduces plaque size by 53%, plaque lipid deposition by 63%, plaque macrophage content by 62% and local inflammatory factor level by 64% compared to the saline group. Meanwhile, HA-Fc/NP³ _ST alleviates systemic inflammation characterized by reduced serum inflammatory factor levels. Collectively, HA-Fc/NP³ _ST nanoassemblies with ROS-responsive and size-reducible properties exhibit a deeper penetration in atherosclerotic plaque and enhanced macrophage targeting ability, thus exerting effective cholesterol efflux and drug delivery for atherosclerosis therapy.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Macrophage; Reactive oxygen species; Recombinant high-density lipoprotein; Size-reducible nanoassemblies.