Development of an Intelligent Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Dual-Drug Delivery Nanoplatform for Enhanced Precise Therapy of Acute Lung Injury

Abstract

Introduction Acute lung injury (ALI) and its most severe form acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are commonly occurring devastating conditions that seriously threaten the respiratory system in critically ill patients. The current treatments improve oxygenation in patients with ALI/ARDS in the short term, but do not relieve the clinical mortality of patients with ARDS. Purpose To develop the novel drug delivery systems that can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of ALI/ARDS and impede adverse effects of drugs. Methods Based on the key pathophysiological process of ARDS that is the disruption of the pulmonary endothelial barrier, bilirubin (Br) and atorvastatin (As) were encapsulated into an intelligent reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanocarrier DSPE-TK-PEG (DPTP) to form nanoparticles (BA@DPTP) in which the thioketal bonds could be triggered by high ROS levels in the ALI tissues. Results BA@DPTP could accumulate in inflammatory pulmonary sites through passive targeting strategy and intelligently release Br and As only in the inflammatory tissue via ROS-responsive bond, thereby enhancing the drugs effectiveness and markedly reducing side effects. BA@DPTP effectively inhibited NF-κB signaling and NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis in mouse pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells. BA@DPTP not only protected mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced ALI and retained the integrity of the pulmonary structure, but also reduced ALI-related mortality. Conclusion This study combined existing drugs with nano-targeting strategies to develop a novel drug-targeting platform for the efficient treatment of ALI/ARDS.

ROS induced pyroptosis in inflammatory disease and cancer

“…Specifically, Ti2C@BSA-ISO alleviates ischemic stroke by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pathway-mediated pyroptosis ( 127 ). Furthermore, bilirubin (Br) and atorvastatin (As) are encapsulated into an intelligent ROS-responsive nanocarrier DSPE-TK-PEG (DPTP) to form nanoparticles (BA@DPTP), which effectively restrain the NF-κB signaling transduction and NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis in mouse pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, reducing the mortality associated with acute lung injury ( 128 ).…”