Macrophage membrane-mimicking nanoparticles for scavenging reactive oxygen species and modulating immune cells in acute kidney injury treatment

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe renal dysfunction syndrome mainly associated with the overproduction of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) in complex inflammatory processes driven by innate immune cells and lymphocytes. Herein, we reported the targeted enrichment of nanoparticles into the kidney that can effectively scavenge ROS and manipulate immune cells including macrophages, neutrophils, T cells (Th17/Treg cells) to suppress inflammation of AKI. The nanoparticle-based platform employs mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA) as a porous core loaded with dexamethasone (Dex), coated by M2 macrophage membrane, could induces effective ROS scavenging, to prevent renal tubular epithelial cell from apoptosis. These nanoparticles have enhanced adhesion to inflammatory endothelial cells with the assistance of the cell membrane, thereby promoting their enrichment to the kidney. In addition, the nanoparticles further reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, promote M2 macrophage polarization, decrease the ratio of Th17 cells and increase the ratio of Tregs to improve AKI. These results suggest that this nanoparticular drug delivery system can effectively alleviate AKI and is expected to be of clinical application in the treatment of AKI.