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Osmotic Drug Delivery to Ischemic Hindlimbs and Perfusion of Vasculature with Microfil for Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging
Published on: June 29, 2013
Emerging drug delivery strategies for local immunomodulation in atherosclerosis
Caleb Nunes1, Amelia Kramer2, Lisa R Volpatti3
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Insights
New drug delivery systems, including nanoparticles and biologic platforms, offer precise anti-inflammatory treatments for atherosclerosis, a major cause of cardiovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Atherosclerosis, a leading cause of global cardiovascular disease deaths, involves lipid accumulation and plaque formation in arteries.
- Macrophage-derived foam cells and underlying inflammation are key contributors to atherosclerotic plaque development.
- Current treatments like statins do not fully resolve inflammation, and anti-inflammatory therapies face clinical translation challenges due to selectivity issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review emerging drug delivery strategies for precise anti-inflammatory treatments targeting atherosclerosis.
- To explore novel nanoparticle and biologic platforms for enhanced therapeutic delivery.
- To discuss challenges and considerations for clinical translation of these advanced therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on atherosclerosis pathophysiology and treatment limitations.
- Exploration of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems (lipids, polymers, metals, 2D materials).
- Analysis of biologic platforms including cell membranes, extracellular vesicles, viruses, and engineered proteins.
Main Results:
- Nanoparticle and biologic platforms demonstrate potential for targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory agents.
- These advanced systems aim to improve selectivity and reduce off-target effects of atherosclerosis treatments.
- Diverse materials and biological entities are being engineered for enhanced therapeutic precision.
Conclusions:
- Emerging drug delivery strategies show promise for improving the efficacy and safety of anti-inflammatory atherosclerosis therapies.
- Overcoming challenges in precision and clinical translation is crucial for adopting these novel approaches.
- Further research and development are needed to bring these innovative treatments to patients.
Abstract:
Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for one in three deaths globally. Characterized by the blocking of arteries, atherosclerosis develops when lipids accumulate in arterial walls and harden into a plaque. When macrophages consume excess modified low-density lipoprotein, they become inflamed and transform into foam cells, which further contribute to plaque development. The standard-of-care for atherosclerosis treatment includes diet and exercise and lipid-lowering therapies such as statins that do not fully address the inflammation that underlies the disease. While many anti-inflammatory therapies have shown promise in vitro and in vivo, their clinical translation has been limited by poor selectivity and off-target effects. This review explores emerging drug delivery strategies designed to improve the precision of anti-inflammatory treatments for atherosclerosis. We highlight nanoparticle-based approaches constructed from lipids, polymers, polysaccharides, metals, and two-dimensional materials, alongside biologic platforms that leverage cell membranes, extracellular vesicles, viruses, and engineered proteins. Finally, we discuss key challenges and considerations for translating these technologies into clinically viable therapies.
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