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Inflammatory-Directed Nanomotors for Targeted Osteoarthritis Treatment
Leiming Tao1, Yingjie Wu1,2, Meng Mao1
1School of Medicine and Health, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
Abstract:
Current therapeutic strategies for osteoarthritis (OA) predominantly rely on pharmacological interventions; however, the limited bioavailability of these drugs poses a significant challenge. Here, a self-propelled Janus nanomotor is presented for inflammatory-directed target therapy of OA. This system comprises platinum-catalyzed cannabidiol-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles encapsulated in chitosan (Pt-CBD/MSN@CS). Upon injection, the Pt face decomposes the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fuel produced from the inflammatory microenvironment. This enables positive chemotactic movement along the concentration gradient of H2O2 and effective accumulation at the lesion sites. The targeting efficiency of inflammatory chondrocytes is enhanced by 1.5-fold compared to normal chondrocytes. The low pH in the inflammatory microenvironment triggers the release of CBD, which alleviates oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuropathic pain, and reduces cartilage loss, joint swelling, and osteophyte volume without significant side effects. This nanorobotic delivery strategy offers a promising approach for targeted OA treatment.
Insights
This study introduces a novel nanorobotic system for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. The self-propelled nanomotors effectively target inflamed tissues, delivering cannabidiol (CBD) to reduce pain and joint damage.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) treatment faces challenges due to poor drug bioavailability.
- Current pharmacological interventions for OA have limited efficacy.
- Targeted drug delivery systems are needed to improve OA therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a self-propelled nanomotor for targeted osteoarthritis therapy.
- To utilize inflammatory microenvironments for nanomotor activation and drug release.
- To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) delivered via nanomotors in OA.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of platinum-catalyzed cannabidiol-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles encapsulated in chitosan (Pt-CBD/MSN@CS).
- Utilizing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the inflammatory microenvironment to fuel nanomotor propulsion.
- Assessing nanomotor chemotactic movement towards inflammatory sites and chondrocyte targeting efficiency.
- Evaluating the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of released CBD in an OA model.
Main Results:
- The nanomotors demonstrated enhanced accumulation at OA lesion sites.
- Targeting efficiency of inflammatory chondrocytes was 1.5-fold higher than normal chondrocytes.
- Released CBD effectively alleviated oxidative stress, inflammation, neuropathic pain, cartilage loss, joint swelling, and osteophyte formation.
- The nanorobotic system showed no significant side effects.
Conclusions:
- Self-propelled Janus nanomotors offer a promising strategy for targeted OA treatment.
- Inflammatory-directed delivery enhances therapeutic efficacy and minimizes off-target effects.
- This nanorobotic approach provides a novel platform for managing osteoarthritis symptoms and progression.
