Macrophages are multifunctional innate immune cells that play indispensable roles in homeostasis, tissue repair, and immune regulation. However, dysregulated activation of macrophages is implicated in the pathogenesis of various human disorders, making them a potential target for treatment. Through the expression of pattern recognition and scavenger receptors, macrophages exhibit selective uptake of pathogens and apoptotic cells. Consequently, the utilization of drug carriers that mimic pathogenic or apoptotic signals shows potential for targeted delivery to macrophages. In this study, a series of mannosylated or/and phosphatidylserine (PS) -presenting liposomes were developed to target macrophages via the design of experiment (DoE) strategy and the trial-and-error (TaE) approach. The optimal molar ratio for the liposome formulation was DOPC: DSPS: Chol: PEG-PE = 20:60:20:2 based on the results of cellular uptake and cytotoxicity evaluation on RAW 264.7 and THP-1 in vitro. Results from in vivo distribution showed that, in the DSS-induced colitis model and collagen II-induced rheumatoid arthritis model, PS-presenting liposomes (PS-Lipo) showed the highest accumulation in intestine and paws respectively, which holds promising potential for macrophage target therapy since macrophages are abundant at inflammatory sites and contribute to the progression of corresponding diseases. Organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney did not exhibit histological alterations such as inflammation or necrosis when exposed to PC-presenting liposomes (PC-Lipo) or PS-Lipo. In addition, liposomes demonstrated hemobiocompatibility and no toxicity to liver or kidney for circulation and did not induce metabolic injury in the animals. Thus, the well-designed PS-Lipo demonstrated the most potential for macrophage target therapy.
Zhiqiang Zhang,Qinglong Wang,Haibo Zhang,Shengchao Wang,Xia Ma,Hui Wang
Mitophagy is a distinct physiological process that can have beneficial or deleterious effects in particular tissues. Prior research suggests that mitophagic activity can be triggered by CaO2-PM-CsPbBr3 QDs, yet the specific role that mitophagy plays in hepatic injury induced by CaO2-PM-CsPbBr3 QDs has yet to be established. Accordingly, in this study a series of mouse model- and cell-based experiments were performed that revealed the ability of CaO2-PM-CsPbBr3 QDs to activate mitophagic activity. Golm1 was upregulated in response to CaO2-PM-CsPbBr3 QDs treatment, and overexpressing Golm1 induced autophagic flux in the murine liver and hepatocytes, whereas knocking down Golm1 had the opposite effect. CaO2-PM-CsPbBr3 QDs were also able to Golm1 expression, in turn promoting the degradation of P53 and decreasing the half-life of this protein. Overexpressing Golm1 was sufficient to suppress the apoptotic death of hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo, whereas the knockdown of Golm1 had the opposite effect. The ability of Golm1 to promote p53-mediated autophagy was found to be associated with the disruption of Beclin-1 binding to Bcl-2, and the Golm1 N-terminal domain was determined to be required for p53 interactions, inducing autophagic activity in a manner independent of helicase activity or RNA binding. Together, these results indicate that inhibiting Golm1 can promote p53-dependent autophagy via disrupting Beclin-1 binding to Bcl-2, highlighting a novel approach to mitigating liver injury induced by CaO2-PM-CsPbBr3 QDs.