| 초록 |
The exact cause of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not known, but activated macrophages are considered to be the major cell contributing to joint inflammation and pathogenesis of joint damage, common in RA patients. As a result, targeting activated macrophages has been considered as a powerful way to achieve effective RA therapy. In this study, we prepared self-assembled dextran sulfate nanoparticles (DSNP) to target methotrexate (MTX) to inflammatory joints of RA. DSNPs showed selective internalization into the activated macrophages possibly via scavenger receptor class A-mediated endocytosis. When systemically administered into mice, the DSNPs substantially accumulated in inflamed joints, implying their high targetability to RA tissues. Additionally, the MTX-loaded DSNPs demonstrated significantly improved therapeutic efficacy compared to free MTX alone. Overall, it was evident that the DSNPs have a great potential as therapeutic agent carriers for RA imaging and therapy. |
