The Role of ROS in Atherosclerosis and ROS-Based Nanotherapeutics for Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerotic Lesion Targeting, ROS Scavenging, and ROS-Responsive Activity

Figures

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  1. Schematic illustration of cellular sources, interconversion, and elimination of ROS and RNS.

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  2. Key steps in the progression of atherosclerosis and the typical roles that ROS play in these processes.

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  3. Illustration of atherosclerotic lesion-targeting strategies. (i) Surface modification with specific ligands that bind to overexpressed receptors on cells in atherosclerotic plaques. (ii) Biomimetic nanoparticles, in which nanomaterials are coated with natural cell membranes to enhance immune evasion and plaque targeting. (iii) Hitchhiking strategies, where nanoparticles adhere to circulating immune cells (e.g., macrophages) and are transported to lesion sites as these cells home in on inflamed plaques.

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  4. Specific targeting ligand-based anti-atherosclerosis nanotherapeutics. (A) Illusion of fabrication of PIP-CD47 nanodrug. (B) TEM images of PIP and PIP-CD47 nanodrug. (C) Particle size of PIP-CD47 nanodrug. (D) Fluorescence imaging of the aorta and major organs in ApoE–/– mice 12 and 24 h post-administration with Ce6, PCP, and PCP-CD47 nanodrug. Copyright 2024, Wiley-VCH GmbH. (E) CLSM images of particle uptake in inflammatory HUVECs with or without anti-CD62P blocking. (F) Quantitative analysis using flow cytometry in inflammatory HUVECs. Copyright 2024, Elsevier B.V.

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  5. Nanomaterial-based strategies for ROS modulation, encompassing the delivery of agents capable of scavenging ROS or inhibiting their generation as well as the utilization of nanomaterials with intrinsic ROS-catalytic activity.

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  6. ROS-scavenging nanozymes for anti-atherosclerosis. (A) Schematic illustration of synthetic procedure of TN-PdH and its autophagy-synergetic multiple effects for treating atherosclerosis. (B) CAT-like activity and (C) SOD-like activity of TN-Pds and TN-PdHs. Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society. (D) HRTEM and SAED pattern images of Mo2C-Au nanoheterojunctions. (E) Schematic illustration of CAT-like activity of Mo2C-Au nanoheterojunctions and H2O2 scavenging efficiencies of different samples. (F) Schematic illustration of SOD-like activity of Mo2C-Au nanoheterojunctions and •O2 – scavenging ratios of different samples. (G) Schematic illustration of GPx-like activity of Mo2C-Au nanoheterojunctions and GPx-like activity of different samples. Copyright 2024, Wiley-VCH GmbH.