siRNA nanoparticles targeting CaMKIIγ in lesional macrophages improve atherosclerotic plaque stability in mice

Authors: Wei Tao, Arif Yurdagul, Na Kong, Wenliang Li, Xiaobo Wang, Amanda C. Doran, Chan Feng, Junqing Wang, Mohammad Ariful Islam, Omid C. Farokhzad, Ira Tabas, Jinjun Shi - Science Translational Medicine 2020 cited by 240

mice, the atherosclerotic lesions showed decreased CaMKIIγ and increased MerTK expression in macrophages, improved phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis), decreased necrotic core area, and increased fibrous cap thickness-all signs of increased plaque stability-compared with mice treated with control siRNA NPs. These findings demonstrate that atherosclerosis-promoting genes in plaque macrophages can be targeted with siRNA NPs in a preclinical model of advanced atherosclerosis.