Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by arterial intimal lipid plaques. Small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA)-based therapies, with their ability to suppress specific genes with high targeting precision and minimal side effects, have shown great potential for AS treatment. However, targets of siRNA therapies based on macrophages for AS treatment are still limited. Olfactory receptor 2 (Olfr2), a potential target for plaque formation, was discovered recently. Herein, anti-Olfr2 siRNA (si-Olfr2) targeting macrophages was designed, and the theranostic platform encapsulating si-Olfr2 to target macrophages within atherosclerotic lesions was also developed, with the aim of downregulating Olfr2, as well as diagnosing AS through photoacoustic imaging (PAI) in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window with high resolution. By utilization of a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanocarrier system, the expression of Olfr2 on macrophages within atherosclerotic plaques was effectively downregulated, leading to the inhibition of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and interleukin-1 β (IL-1β) secretion, thereby reducing the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. As manifested by decreased Olfr2 expression, the lesions exhibited a significantly alleviated inflammatory response that led to reduced lipid deposition, macrophage apoptosis, and a noticeable decrease in the necrotic areas. This study provides a proof of concept for evaluating the theranostic nanoplatform to specifically deliver si-Olfr2 to lesional macrophages for AS diagnosis and treatment.
Keywords:NIR-II PAI; Olfr2; atherosclerosis treatment; siRNA delivery; theranostics.