Effective atherosclerotic plaque inflammation inhibition with targeted drug delivery by hyaluronan conjugated atorvastatin nanoparticles.

ABSTRACT: Atherosclerosis is associated with inflammation in the arteries, which is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes. Reducing the extent of local inflammation at atherosclerotic plaques can be an attractive strategy to combat atherosclerosis. While statins can exhibit direct anti-inflammatory activities, the high dose required for such a therapy renders it unrealistic due to their low systemic bioavailabilities and potential side effects. To overcome this, a new hyaluronan (HA)-atorvastatin (ATV) conjugate was designed with the hydrophobic statin ATV forming the core of the nanoparticle (HA-ATV-NP). The HA on the NPs can selectively bind with CD44, a cell surface receptor overexpressed on cells residing in atherosclerotic plaques and known to play important roles in plaque development. HA

SUBMITTER: Hossaini Nasr S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7234819 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature