Atherosclerosis is the buildup of lipid-rich plaque on the inner walls of arteries. With increasing plaque buildup, the affected arteries may harden and narrow leading to complications such as heart attack, stroke, aneurysm and other cardiovascular events. As such, atherosclerosis is a major cause of cardiovascular mortality worldwide. Although there have been advancements in interventions for lessening plaque burden, they remain far from optimal. Recent studies have shown that dysregulations of YAP and TAZ, key transcriptional effectors of the Hippo pathway contribute to pathological events associated with plaque formation and progression, suggesting that targeting YAP/TAZ might be a feasible strategy to treat atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, systemic inhibition of YAP/TAZ may result is serious side effects, limiting its clinical applicability.
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a novel biomimetic drug delivery platform harnessing monocyte membrane-coated nanoparticles (MoNPs). This innovative platform mimics the critical features of circulating monocytes, enabling active targeting towards blood vessels affected by atherosclerosis and achieving site-specific delivery of therapeutic agents to mitigate plaque development. MoNPs have demonstrated a superior efficiency in delivering an YAP/TAZ inhibitor to resolve inflammatory responses in vascular cells when compared to the free drug counterpart. In animal studies, these lesion-specific, pathway-targeted MoNPs exhibited a remarkable efficacy to reduce arterial inflammation and attenuate the onset of atherosclerosis without causing noticeable toxicity to organs.
This MoNP drug delivery platform has the potential to open new avenues for the advancement of therapeutic strategies in atherosclerosis treatment, ultimately leading to enhanced patient outcomes.
Potential Applications
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A Highly biocompatible drug delivery platform designed for atherosclerosis and other vascular inflammatory diseases
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Aids in the development of a novel nanodrug that targets the Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway to address vascular inflammation and inhibit plaque development
Benefits and Advantages
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Facilitates active targeting towards inflamed blood vessels and areas prone to atherosclerosis
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Prolongs residence time in circulation, enhancing the effectiveness of the treatment
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Enables precise inhibition of the inflammatory pathway in atherosclerotic arteries while sparing healthy regions of blood vessels
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Promotes localized treatment of atherosclerosis for improved efficacy and reduced side effects
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Effectively reduces arterial inflammation and inhibits plaque formation when delivering verteporfin, an inhibitor of YAP/TAZ signaling.
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Holds great potential for applications in precision and personalized medicine
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