Visualization of the Ferroptosis in Atherosclerotic Plaques with Nanoprobe Engineered by Macrophage Cell Membranes

Abstract

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the root cause of cardiovascular diseases. Ferroptosis is characterized by highly irondependent lipid peroxidation and has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of AS. Visualization of the ferroptosis process in atherosclerotic plaques is of great importance for diagnosing and treating AS. In this work, the rationally designed fluorescent probe FAS1 exhibited excellent advantages including large Stokes shift, sensitivity to environmental viscosity, good photostability, and improved water solubility. It also could co-locate with commercial lipid droplets (LDs) probes (BODIPY 493/503) well in RAW264.7 cells treated by the ferroptosis inducer. After self-assembly into nanoparticles and then encapsulation with macrophage membranes, the engineered FAS1@MM NPs could successfully target the atherosclerotic plaques in Western dietinduced apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE −/− ) mice and reveal the association of ferroptosis with AS through fluorescence imaging in vivo. This study may provide additional insights into the roles of ferroptosis in the diagnosis and treatment of AS.

Macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles for the treatment of infectious diseases

“…Also, they can be utilized in diagnostic and therapeutic integration by incorporating bioimaging materials or embedded in hydrogels to form composites for enhanced local neutralization [123]. Fourth, due to their excellent immunomodulatory and drug delivery properties, macrophage membrane-encapsulated nanoparticles are employed in the treatment of not only IDs but also other diseases, such as tumors [124], cardiovascular diseases [125,126], nervous system diseases [127], and chronic wounds [128].…”