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Review
. 2024 Jun 17;29(12):2873.
doi: 10.3390/molecules29122873.

Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems for the Targeted Treatment of Atherosclerosis

Alexander Shao-Rong Pang  1 , Tarini Dinesh  2 , Natalie Yan-Lin Pang  1 , Vishalli Dinesh  3 , Kimberley Yun-Lin Pang  4 , Cai Ling Yong  1 , Shawn Jia Jun Lee  4 , George W Yip  5 , Boon Huat Bay  5 , Dinesh Kumar Srinivasan  5
Affiliations
Review

Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems for the Targeted Treatment of Atherosclerosis

Alexander Shao-Rong Pang et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Atherosclerosis continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The precise evaluation of the extent of an atherosclerotic plaque is essential for forecasting its likelihood of causing health concerns and tracking treatment outcomes. When compared to conventional methods used, nanoparticles offer clear benefits and excellent development opportunities for the detection and characterisation of susceptible atherosclerotic plaques. In this review, we analyse the recent advancements of nanoparticles as theranostics in the management of atherosclerosis, with an emphasis on applications in drug delivery. Furthermore, the main issues that must be resolved in order to advance clinical utility and future developments of NP research are discussed. It is anticipated that medical NPs will develop into complex and advanced next-generation nanobotics that can carry out a variety of functions in the bloodstream.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; drug delivery systems; nanoparticles; nanotechnology; targeted therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Formation of an atherosclerotic plaque.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Examples of different types of NPs.
Figure 3
Figure 3
NP targeting atherosclerotic plaques in mouse models.
Figure 4
Figure 4
NPs change the shape of atherosclerotic plaques by significantly lowering proinflammatory cytokine levels and preventing macrophage proliferation, during the early stages of atherosclerosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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