Macrophage membrane-biomimetic DNA nanocages deliver taurine to reprogram trained immunity for periodontitis therapy

As one of the most burdensome oral diseases, periodontitis frequently leads to tooth loss and heightens the risk of systemic diseases. A major clinical challenge is that current strategies often fail to resolve chronic inflammation and bone resorption characteristic of its refractory state. Recent research implicates maladaptive trained immunity (TRIM) as a core mechanism, which promotes myeloid cell skewing and amplifies inflammatory responses and bone loss. Single-cell sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from periodontitis patients identified an elevated inflammatory stress state. Taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid with known anti-inflammatory properties, offers therapeutic potential, but its application is limited by low oral bioavailability and a lack of target specificity. To address these challenges, a novel therapeutic strategy based on precisely engineered DNA nanocages carrying taurine has been developed. These nanocages are camouflaged with hybrid cell membranes harvested from M2-polarized and trained-immunosuppressive macrophages for targeted monocytes. This biomimetic system is designed to therapeutically correct the dysregulated TRIM state in monocytes and macrophages, effectively inhibiting inflammation and bone destruction. Concurrently, it restores the osteogenic differentiation and mitochondrial function of periodontal ligament cells via immune modulation, establishing a novel strategy for the precise immunotherapy of chronic periodontitis.