On May 13, 2024, the team led by Xu Baoli, Deputy Director of the Pharmacy Department of Dalian University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, and Professor Kong Liang from the School of Pharmacy of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly published a paper titled "Combined ROS Sensitive Folate Receptor Targeted Micellar Formulas of Curcumin Effective Against Rheumatoid Arthritis in Rat Model" in the International Journal of Nanomedicine. The first author of the paper is Wang Yuanyuan. The article developed a curcumin micelle modified with folate based on reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in response to macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis. Among them, Changguang Chenying's core product - S3000 ultra fast 3D fluorescence imaging system provides a powerful tool for ultra fast imaging of in vitro cell uptake of the nanomicelles.

Abstract

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory immune-mediated disease that involves synovitis, cartilage destruction, and even joint damage. Traditional agents used for RA therapy remain unsatisfactory because of their low efficiency and obvious adverse effects. Therefore, we here established RA microenvironment-responsive targeted micelles that can respond to the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the joint and improve macrophage-specific targeting of loaded drugs.

Methods: We here prepared ROS-responsive folate-modified curcumin micelles (TK-FA-Cur-Ms) in which thioketal (TK) was used as a ROS-responsive linker for modifying polyethylene glycol 5000 (PEG5000) on the micellar surface. When micelles were in the ROS-overexpressing inflammatory microenvironment, the PEG5000 hydration layer was shed, and the targeting ligand FA was exposed, thereby enhancing cellular uptake by macrophages through active targeting. The targeting, ROS sensitivity and anti-inflammatory properties of the micelles were assessed in vitro. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats model was utilized to investigate the targeting, expression of serum inflammatory factors and histology change of the articular cartilage by micelles in vivo.

Results: TK-FA-Cur-Ms had a particle size of 90.07 ± 3.44 nm, which decreased to 78.87 ± 2.41 nm after incubation with H2O2. The micelles exhibited in vitro targeting of RAW264.7 cells and significantly inhibited inflammatory cytokine levels. Pharmacodynamic studies have revealed that TK-FA-Cur-Ms prolonged the drug circulation and exhibited augmented cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo.

Conclusion: The unique ROS-responsive targeted micelles with targeting, ROS sensitivity and anti-inflammatory properties were successfully prepared and may offer an effective therapeutic strategy against RA.

The paper links：

https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S458957