pH-Responsive Nanoparticles Targeted to Lungs for Improved Therapy of Acute Lung Inflammation/Injury

Dysregulated vascular inflammation is the underlying of acute lung inflammation/injury (ALI). Bacterial infections and trauma cause ALI that may rapidly lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). There are no pharmacological therapies available to patients with ALI/ARDS, partially as drugs cannot specifically target the lungs. Herein, we developed a stimuli-responsive nanoparticle to target inflammatory lungs for ALI therapies. The nanoparticle is comprised of a sharp acid-sensitive segment poly(β-amino esters) (PAE) as a core for drug loading and controlled release, and a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-biotin on the particle surface available for bioconjugation enabling lung targeting and extended circulation. The studies on dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation and characteristics of nanoparticles (NPs) suggest that anti-ICAM-1 antibodies can be coated to the particle surface and this coating is required to enhance lung targeting of NPs. A model drug of anti-inflammatory agent TPCA-1 is encapsulated in NPs with high drug loading content at 24 % (w/w). In the mouse ALI model, our TPCA-1-loaded NPs coated with anti-ICAM-1 can target inflamed lungs after intravenous injection, followed by drug release triggered by acid environment, thus mitigating lung inflammation and injury. Our studies reveal the rational design of nanotherapeutics for improved therapy of ALI and it may be applied to treating a wide range of vascular inflammation.