Celecoxib Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Angiogenesis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Therapeutic angiogenesis is crucial for treating ischemic diseases.
• Celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has paradoxical effects on angiogenesis, potentially promoting it in certain contexts.
• The hydrophobic nature of celecoxib requires nanoparticulate formulation for effective therapeutic delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of celecoxib nanoparticles in inducing therapeutic angiogenesis.
• To develop a facile method for creating celecoxib nanoparticles using supercritical carbon dioxide.
• To evaluate the therapeutic potential of celecoxib nanoparticles in animal models of normal and ischemic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of celecoxib nanoparticles via solvent extraction from microemulsions in supercritical carbon dioxide.
• Subcutaneous administration of celecoxib nanoparticles in a hydrogel to mice.
• Assessment of blood vessel formation in normal skin and in a murine model of myocardial infarction.

Main Results:

• Celecoxib nanoparticles significantly increased blood vessel count in normal skin (4-fold increase) compared to controls.
• The angiogenic effect of celecoxib nanoparticles was comparable to deferoxamine, a known neovascularization promoter.
• In a myocardial infarction model, celecoxib nanoparticles induced significant vascularization of ischemic tissue and mitigated heart failure progression.

Conclusions:

• Nanoparticulate celecoxib is an effective agent for inducing therapeutic angiogenesis.
• This approach offers a promising new strategy for treating ischemic diseases, including myocardial infarction.
• The supercritical fluid-based nanoparticle formation method is efficient and scalable.