ABSTRACT
Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) has seen rising cases, particularly in younger people, leading to public health concerns. Standard treatments, like coronary artery recanalization, often don't fully repair the heart's microvasculature, risking heart failure. Advances show that Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) transplantation improves cardiac function after AMI, but the harsh microenvironment post-AMI impacts cell survival and therapeutic results. MSCs aid heart repair via their membrane proteins and paracrine extracellular vesicles that carry microRNA-125b, which regulates multiple targets, preventing cardiomyocyte death, limiting fibroblast growth, and combating myocardial remodeling after AMI. This study introduces ultrasound-responsive phase-change bionic nanoparticles, leveraging MSCs' natural properties. These particles contain MSC membrane and microRNA-125b, with added macrophage membrane for stability. Using Ultrasound Targeted Microbubble Destruction (UTMD), this method targets the delivery of MSC membrane proteins and microRNA-125b to AMI's inflamed areas. This aims to enhance cardiac function recovery and provide precise, targeted AMI therapy.
Subject(s)
Mesenchymal Stem Cells , MicroRNAs , Myocardial Infarction , Nanoparticles , Myocardial Infarction/therapy , Animals , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , MicroRNAs/metabolism , MicroRNAs/genetics , Male , Recovery of Function , Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Humans , Biomimetic Materials/chemistry , Biomimetic Materials/pharmacology , Mice , Microbubbles , Ultrasonic WavesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite significant advances in transplantation, acute cellular rejection (AR) remains a major obstacle that is most prevalent in the first months post heart transplantation (HT). Current treatments require high doses of immunosuppressive drugs followed by maintenance therapies that have systemic side effects including early infection. In this study, we attempted to prevent AR with a myocardial-targeted galectin-7-siRNA delivery method using cationic microbubbles (CMBs) combined with ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) to create local immunosuppression in a rat abdominal heterotopic heart transplantation acute rejection model. METHODS AND RESULTS: Galectin-7-siRNA (siGal-7) bound to CMBs were synthesized and effective ultrasound-targeted delivery of siGal-7 into target cells confirmed in vitro. Based on these observations, three transplant rat models were testedï¼â isograft (ISO); â¡ Allograft (ALLO) +UTMD; and â¢ALLO + PBS. UTMD treatments were administered at 1, 3, 5, 7 days after HT. Galectin 7 expression was reduced by 50% compared to ALLO + PBS (p < 0.005), and this was associated with significant reductions in both galectin 7 and Interleukin-2 protein levels (p < 0.001). The ALLO + UTMD group had Grade II or less inflammatory infiltration and myocyte damage in 11/12 rats using International Society For Heart and Lung Transplantation grading, compared to 0/12 rats with this grading in the ALLO + PBS group at 10 days post HT (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-targeted galectin-7-siRNA knockdown with UTMD can prevent acute cellular rejection in the early period after allograft heart transplantation without the need for systemic immunosuppression. KEY WORDS: Microbubble, Acute Rejection, Heart Transplantation, Galectin-7, RNA.