Animal models used in the research of nanoparticles for cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Tremendous progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of CVD; however, there are still lots of limitations and new technology is needed. Nanoparticles have been studied recently for CVD due to their nanoscale size and unique properties, and hold a potential to be a novel therapy for the treatment. To test the safety and effectiveness of drug-loaded nanoparticles for CVD prior to human studies, animal disease models are unavoidably needed. This review summarized the animal models used in the research of nanoparticles for CVD and provided a generic picture of current use of CVD animal models according to the different types of diseases which should be prioritized when considering the application of nanoparticles in treating CVD. This review would be useful resources not only for life science researchers and clinicians but also for those from chemistry and materials sciences background who may not have a systematic knowledge about CVD animal models.