ROS-Responsive Nanoparticles for Suppressing the Cytotoxicity and Immunogenicity Caused by PM2.5 Particulates

Although the negative impacts of particulate matter (PM2.5) on human health have been well recognized, very few efforts have been paid to find new strategies to suppress the toxicity of PM2.5 both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanoparticles made of poly(1,4-phenleneacetonedimethylene thioketal) (PPADT) were used to load immunosuppressant drug tacrolimus (FK506) with a drug loading efficiency of around 44%. The PPADT particles showed very good ROS-responsiveness and were degraded in an oxidation environment. By exhausting intracellular ROS, they could effectively suppress the toxicity of A549 lung epithelial cells and RAW264.7 macrophages induced by the PM2.5 particulates collected from three different regions in China. Moreover, the inflammatory response of PM2.5 could also be significantly suppressed, showing much better performance than the free FK506 drugs both in vitro and in vivo. This concept-proving research demonstrates the promising application for the ROS-sensitive drug release particles in dispelling the toxicity and suppressing the inflammation of PM2.5 pollutes, shedding a new light in the design and applications of stimuli-responsive systems in the bionanotechnology and healthcare fields.