Nature-inspired nanodiscs for lesion-targeted delivery reprogram macrophages and attenuate established abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening vascular disease characterized by chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation, with lesional macrophages playing a pivotal role in disease progression. However, effective and safe delivery of immune modulators to macrophages at the site of AAA remains a major clinical challenge. To address this unmet need, we report a nature-inspired nanodisc platform based on high-density lipoproteins for targeted delivery to lesional macrophages, further engineered with a multi-component targeting strategy incorporating an aneurysm-homing peptide and phosphatidylserine lipids. Nanodiscs encapsulating an anti-inflammatory protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) inhibitor remarkably attenuated progression of established AAA in an elastase-induced mouse model. Using a combination of in vivo biodistribution and immune profiling approaches, we demonstrate that nanodisc-assisted PERK inhibitor delivery selectively reprograms the local immune microenvironment and attenuates pathological inflammation in AAA disease models. Notably, a single administration achieves sustained therapeutic efficacy with favorable safety profiles, effectively limiting the progression of established AAA in a clinically relevant setting. This work presents a new avenue of designer nanomedicines for targeted immunomodulation and maybe broadly applicable for a wide range of vascular and immune-mediated pathologies.