Highlights

• A neutrophil-mimicking drug delivery system was developed using HL-60 cell-derived membranes to target inflamed joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• The system integrates catalase to convert excess ROS into oxygen, enabling both hypoxia relief and ROS-responsive drug release.
• It demonstrated effective RA mitigation by combining inflammation neutralization, macrophage reprogramming, and improved drug delivery with minimal toxicity.

Summary

The article presents a novel nanotherapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using neutrophil-mimetic, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive, and oxygen-generating liposomes.

The researchers designed a biomimetic nanoplatform (Leo@CAT@NM-Lipo) that encapsulates leonurine (an anti-inflammatory agent) and catalase (an enzyme that decomposes ROS to oxygen) within neutrophil-membrane-coated liposomes to enhance targeted delivery and therapeutic efficacy. These nanovesicles accumulate in inflamed joints, neutralize pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, alleviate hypoxia by generating oxygen, and suppress ROS, leading to reduced joint damage and systemic inflammation in arthritis-induced rats. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that the nanoplatform effectively inhibited fibroblast-like synoviocyte migration, reprogrammed macrophages toward anti-inflammatory phenotypes, and promoted tissue recovery without toxicity.

Overall, the system represents a promising direction for targeted treatment of RA and potentially other inflammation-driven diseases.

Z. Tang et al., “Neutrophil‐Mimetic, ROS Responsive, and Oxygen Generating Nanovesicles for Targeted Interventions of Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis,” Small, vol. 20, no. 20, p. 2307379, May 2024, doi: 10.1002/smll.202307379.