Targeted drug delivery systems for atherosclerosis

Figures

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  Fig. 1. Technologies for atherosclerosis-targeted drug delivery systems

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  Fig. 2. Mechanisms of atherosclerosis formation. Reprinted with permission from Ref [77]. Copyright 2025 Elsevier

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  Fig. 3. Design methods and targeting strategies for nanoparticles in atherosclerosis

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  Fig. 4. WD-fed Ldlr-/- mice treated with IL-10 mRNA@M-HNPs show a significant reduction in atherosclerotic lesion size and necrotic core areas, alongside a marked increase in collagen cap thickness: (A) A schematic illustrating the design and self-assembly of mRNA nanoparticles (NPs) using a modified microfluidic-based method; (B, C) H&E staining of aortic root sections from Ldlr-/- mice under various treatments, where black dotted lines outline the plaque area and solid black lines highlight the necrotic core. Scale bar: 200 μm;(D) Safety assessment in C57BL/6 mice, with cross-sectioned organs stained using H&E. Reprinted with permission from Ref [317]. Copyright 2023 American Chemical Society

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  Fig. 5. MCC950 Suppresses NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Aortic Macrophages: (A): mRNA expression levels of TLR4, NLRP3, and Caspase-1 in the aorta (n = 5); (B, C): Protein levels of TLR4, NLRP3, ASC monomer, ASC oligomers, pro-Caspase-1, and Caspase-1 in the aorta (n = 5). GAPDH was used as the internal control; (D-F): Fluorescence images and quantitative analysis of NLRP3 (green) and MOMA2 (red) in the aortic root of mice (n = 5). Magnification: ×400, Scale bar: 50 μm. Data are shown as mean ± SD. Statistical significance: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. Reprinted with permission from ref 342. Copyright 2021 Scientifc Reports (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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  Fig. 6. Drugs Mitigate Atherosclerosis by Modulating Lipid Levels: (A, C): JC-5411, an activator of Nrf2 signaling, demonstrated anti-atherosclerotic effects in WD-induced ApoE-/- mice; (B): QXXZF alleviated atherosclerosis caused by HHD in ApoE-/- mice. Reprinted with permission from Ref [335, 338]. Copyright 2020 Frontiers in Pharmacology and 2023 Elsevier

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  Fig. 7. CD27 Co-Stimulation Enhances Regulatory T Cell Abundance and Mitigates Atherosclerosis in Hyperlipidaemic Mice: (A): CD27 expression is elevated in ruptured human atheroma and is associated with T cells in both mice and humans; (B): The absence of bone marrow-derived CD27 alters cellular plaque composition and exacerbates atherosclerosis; (C): Early-stage atherosclerosis progresses more rapidly in CD27-/- ApoE-/- compound-deficient mice; (D): CD27 deficiency does not affect the progression of advanced atherosclerosis. Reprinted with permission from Ref [353]. Copyright 2017 European Heart Journal

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  Fig. 8. Two major complexes of the mTOR signaling pathway and their pathways. Created and Adapted with BioRender.com

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  Fig. 9. CCR2 and CX3CR1 Are Essential for M2 Macrophage Enrichment in Regressing Plaques: (A): Quantification of immunohistochemical staining for M2 macrophage markers (MR and ARG1) in aortic arch plaques from ApoE-/- mice subjected to a 16-week Western diet (WD; BL; n = 10) or 5 days post-transplantation into ApoE-/- (Progr; n = 10), WT (Regr; n = 10), or chemokine receptor-deficient mice (Ccr2-/-, Cx3cr1-/-, or Ccr5-/-; n = 8); (B): Quantification of staining for the macrophage marker CD68 and the M1 macrophage marker MCP-1 under the same conditions; (C): Representative images of aortic plaques stained for MCP-1, CD206 (MR), and ARG1, captured at ×40 magnification. Reprinted with permission from ref 382. Copyright 2017 The Journal of Clinical Investigation (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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  Fig. 10. YXTMD treatment enhances the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1 in macrophages within atherosclerotic plaques: Representative images of aortic root sections double-stained with Mac2 and adipophilin (A), ABCA1 (B), or ABCG1 (C), with nuclei counterstained using DAPI (n = 5 animals per group). Scale bars: 50 μm. Quantification of immunostaining for Mac2 (D), adipophilin (E), ABCA1 (F), and ABCG1 (G) in aortic root lesions. Statistical significance: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.005; ***p < 0.001. Reprinted with permission from Ref [387]. Copyright 2021 Elsevier