Dual-targeting nanoparticles enhance microglial P2Y12R expression to promote neuronal mitophagy for repairing spinal cord injury
摘要
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to severe mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS cascade, with microglia playing a dual role in both exacerbating damage and providing neuroprotection. Recent evidence has highlighted the importance of P2Y12R in microglial-neuron interactions, particularly in modulating mitochondrial quality control and mitigating oxidative stress. Here, we develop a dual-targeting nanoparticle system (P2Y-TK-Nano) to enhance P2Y12R expression in microglia and promote neuronal mitophagy, aiming to reduce mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) and improve neuronal survival following SCI. The P2Y-TK-Nano system combines a ROS-responsive thioketal bond for injury-site targeting with an MG1 peptide to selectively target microglia. This design enables precise nanoparticle delivery to the ROS-enriched injury microenvironment, effectively restoring P2Y12R expression in microglia. Microglia treated with P2Y-TK-Nano exhibit elevated P2Y12R expression, leading to increased interaction with injured neurons, improved mitophagy, and reduced mtROS production. These combined effects significantly attenuate secondary damage and contribute to neuroprotection post-SCI. Our findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism by which P2Y12R overexpression in microglia enhances neuronal mitophagy and mitigates oxidative stress after SCI. The dual-targeting P2Y-TK-Nano system offers a promising therapeutic approach to address microglial activation and mitochondrial dysfunction in the context of SCI.