Inhalation of peptide-loaded nanoparticles improves heart failure

Michele, Miragoli, Paola, Ceriotti, Michele, Iafisco, Marco, Vacchiano, Nicolò, Salvarani, Alessio, Alogna, Pierluigi, Carullo, Gloria Belén, Ramirez-Rodríguez, Tatiana, Patrício, Lorenzo, Degli Esposti, Francesca, Rossi, Francesca, Ravanetti, Silvana, Pinelli, Rossella, Alinovi, Marco, Erreni, Stefano, Rossi, Gianluigi, Condorelli, Heiner, Post, Anna, Tampieri, Daniele, Catalucci

Science Translational Medicine |

Nanoparticles can be useful for imaging and drug delivery but generally require intravenous injection to reach their targets. Miragoli et al . delivered nanoparticles carrying peptides to the heart by inhalation rather than injection. The inhaled particles reached the heart faster than injected particles and were taken up by cardiomyocytes to improve cardiac function in a mouse model of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In healthy pigs, inhaled particles were also found in heart tissue, suggesting that this minimally invasive method of targeted cardiac delivery could potentially translate to humans.