Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is an age-related interstitial lung disease that results in notable morbidity and mortality. The Food and Drug Administration–approved drugs can decelerate the progression of PF; however, curing aged patients with severe fibrosis is ineffective because of insufficient accumulation of these drugs and wide necrocytosis of type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC IIs). Here, we constructed a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)–based nanoengineered platform via the bioconjugation of MSCs and type I collagenase–modified liposomes loaded with nintedanib (MSCs-Lip@NCAF) for treating severe fibrosis. Specifically, MSCs-Lip@NCAF migrated to fibrotic lungs because of the homing characteristic of MSCs and then Lip@NCAF was sensitively released. Subsequently, Lip@NCAF ablated collagen fibers, delivered nintedanib into fibroblasts, and inhibited fibroblast overactivation. MSCs differentiated into AEC IIs to repair alveolar structure and ultimately promote the regeneration of damaged lungs in aged mice. Our findings indicated that MSCs-Lip@NCAF could be used as a promising therapeutic candidate for PF therapy, especially in aged patients.
Mitochondrial heterogeneity above the biochemical threshold (~50% damaged mitochondria load) induces the symptom manifest of multiple mitochondrial diseases without effective treatment. However, current mitochondria-targeted therapies related to mitochondrial heterogeneity regulation have yielded unsatisfactory clinical incomes due to the risk of damaged mitochondria carryover and the imbalance of mitochondrial homeostasis. Here, we show that engineered mitochondria (Mitochondria-Lipo@mParkin, MLPers) constructed by adhesion of mitophagy-mediated liposomes to the surface of exogenous mitochondria can supply healthy mitochondria via exogenous mitochondria and both remove damaged mitochondria via enhanced mitophagy. MLPers decrease the high level of mitochondrial heterogeneity to less than 30% which is obviously lower than their biochemical threshold, and lead to the reversion of disease-related phenotypes in two mouse models of tricky mitochondrial diseases (Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis). The surface adhesion-engineered mitochondria are powerful tools for maintaining homeostasis of mitochondrial pool and offer a translational approach for pan-mitochondrial disease therapies.
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