Trident-inspired fucoidan-based armor-piercing microcapsule for programmed acute pulmonary embolism treatment

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of mortality, with current thrombolytic therapies facing limitations like short half-life and bleeding risks.
• Existing treatments for acute pulmonary embolism (APE) require improved targeting and efficacy.
• Developing advanced drug delivery systems is crucial for effective PE treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel microcapsule (FUGP@MC) for enhanced thrombolysis in acute pulmonary embolism (APE).
• To investigate the synergistic effects of photothermal, mechanical, and pharmacological thrombolysis.
• To evaluate the in vivo safety and efficacy of the FUGP@MC system.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of fucoidan-urokinase-S-nitrosoglutathione-polydopamine microcapsules (FUGP@MC) for targeted APE therapy.
• Utilized near-infrared (NIR) light to trigger a cascade of photothermal conversion, nitric oxide (NO) release, and urokinase (UK) activation.
• Assessed thrombolytic efficacy by measuring embolization residual rates and evaluated in vivo biosafety.

Main Results:

• FUGP@MC demonstrated a significantly lower embolization residual rate (6.35%) compared to urokinase alone (16.78%) at a lower UK dose.
• The microcapsule system achieved a triple synergistic thrombolytic effect through combined photothermal, mechanical (NO-mediated), and pharmacological actions.
• FUGP@MC exhibited reliable in vivo biosafety, indicating a favorable safety profile.

Conclusions:

• The trident-inspired FUGP@MC system presents a promising, multi-modal therapeutic strategy for acute pulmonary embolism.
• This novel approach offers a potentially safer and more effective alternative to current thrombolytic drug delivery methods.
• FUGP@MC showcases the potential of advanced nanotechnology in overcoming limitations of conventional PE treatments.