Nanoparticle-mediated microRNA-145 Delivery for Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype Modulation and Atherosclerosis Treatment

Abstract

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) change from contractile to the synthetic phenotype during atherogenesis and 30-70% of cells that make up plaques have been elucidated to be of VSMC origin. MicroRNA-145 (miR-145) is responsible for regulating VSMC phenotypic switching, and low miR-145 levels in circulation have been linked with atherosclerosis. Hence, we developed nanoparticles for targeted delivery of miR-145 by synthesizing micelles co-assembled with miR-145 and the CCR2-binding peptides for plaque targeting. The miR cargo was protected in micelles from premature endosomal degradation and rescued contractile markers in synthetic VSMCs and SMCs isolated from patient arteries in vitro. In ApoE-/- mid-stage atherosclerotic mice, miR-145 micelles halted plaque growth and maintained contractile phenotypes similar to baseline levels. In early-stage atherosclerosis, a single dose of miR-145 micelles prevented lesion growth by 49%. We present the potential of miR-145 micelles as a therapeutic that can be applied longitudinally and intervene throughout atherosclerosis pathogenesis.