Nanoparticles to Target and Treat Macrophages: The Ockham’s Concept?

Abstract

Nanoparticles are nanomaterials with three external nanoscale dimensions and an average size ranging from 1 to 1000 nm. Nanoparticles have gained notoriety in technological advances due to their tunable physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. However, the administration of functionalized nanoparticles to living beings is still challenging due to the rapid detection and blood and tissue clearance by the mononuclear phagocytic system. The major exponent of this system is the macrophage. Regardless the nanomaterial composition, macrophages can detect and incorporate foreign bodies by phagocytosis. Therefore, the simplest explanation is that any injected nanoparticle will be probably taken up by macrophages. This explains, in part, the natural accumulation of most nanoparticles in the spleen, lymph nodes, and liver (the main organs of the mononuclear phagocytic system). For this reason, recent investigations are devoted to design nanoparticles for specific macrophage targeting in diseased tissues. The aim of this review is to describe current strategies for the design of nanoparticles to target macrophages and to modulate their immunological function involved in different diseases with special emphasis on chronic inflammation, tissue regeneration, and cancer.

New diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction via nanomaterials

“…Several strategies have been proposed to optimize this process, including modifying nanoparticles with cationic ligands or surfactants which destructed the liposome membrane to release the uptake drugs or regulating nanoparticle size (100–200 nm better) to facilitate endocytosis without quick biodegradation in lysosomes simultaneously. 117 , 118 Adding specific ligands that bind to macrophage receptors also increased the targeting ability of nano-complexes. In the aspect of material type, the FDA-approved PLGA was most widely utilized as a macrophage-targeting carrier, whereas liposomes or biofilm-made materials also played a promising role in this area.…”

Recent advances in nanomedicines for regulation of macrophages in wound healing

“…Nanomaterials have been considered as a promising approach for promoting the wound regeneration due to their superior physicochemical properties, excellent drug loading capacity, and biocompatibility [ 113 , 114 ]. During the last few decades, researchers have explored various types of organic or inorganic nanomaterials to be used in the development of wound dressing materials to act as antibacterial agents and stimulate wound healing process by providing sustained drug release, mimic the properties of ECM, and regulate cell behaviors [ 113 , 115 ]. Particularly, nanomaterials can modulate the macrophages in the wounds via macrophage depletion or phenotype repolarization.…”

Hacking macrophages to combat cancer and inflammatory diseases – Current advances and challenges

“…68,69 Even though that is a step closer to the right direction, one should consider the potential effect of such molecules (glucans) per se on macrophage activation (reviewed in 70 ) and whether this might enhance or counteract the desired outcome, depending on the disease scenario. Regardless, nanoparticles may possess significant macrophage-mediated therapeutic advances upon careful fine-tuning (reviewed in 71 ) and as our understanding about the different macrophage populations increases and the technological progress provide us the tools, it is anticipated that future research will implement more and better nanocarriers in the field.…”