Researchers investigate the potential of self-assembled hyaluronic acid nanoparticles for treating inflammatory skin diseases

Conventional topical approaches to treat psoriasis have a variety of side effects. To address these limitations, researchers from Korea, investigated the potential of self-assembled hyaluronic acid nanoparticles in mouse models and found that they can effectively treat psoriasis without overt side effects, and can also pave the way for powerful and safe nanomedicine platforms for other chronic inflammatory diseases.

Image source: Reprinted (adapted) with permission from ACS Nano 2022, 16,12, 20057-20074. Copyright 2022 American Chemical Society 

Caption: Hyaluronic acid nanoparticles show potential for effective treatment of psoriasis, without overt side effects and can also pave the way for a powerful nano-medicine platform for a variety of inflammatory diseases.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterized by itchy and painful skin patches. It occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy skin. Conventional psoriasis treatments (oral medications) primarily aim to alleviate symptoms by limiting inflammatory responses. Topical therapy, applied directly on the skin, on the contrary, offers a more favorable non-invasive and safer option. However, its long-term use and high dosage may cause a variety of side effects.

To address these limitations, a team of researchers from Korea, led by Professor Wook Kim and Dr. Eunha Kim from Ajou University investigated the potential of self-assembled hyaluronic acid nanoparticles (HA-NPs) for treating psoriasis. Their study was published in Volume 16, Issue 12 of the journal ACS Nano on 14 November, 2022. “HA-NPs have previously served as biocompatible and safe drug delivery carriers due to their unique chemical and biological properties. They can exert their own therapeutic effects while maintaining their role as drug carriers,” explains Prof. Kim.

The researchers conducted a series of experiments to assess the impact of HA-NPs on mice with psoriasis-like skin dermatitis induced by imiquimod (IMQ) and interleukin-23 (IL-23). They found that HA-NPs could penetrate IMQ-inflamed skin and target specialized immune cells called ‘macrophages’ through immune receptors called TLR4. They were able to suppress the activation of macrophages associated with worsening psoriasis. The results showed that HA-NPs reduced skin inflammation caused by IMQ and IL-23, while restoring the compromised skin barrier and alleviating psoriasis-like skin dermatitis. 

Notably, the researchers discovered that the outermost layer (shell) of HA-NPs was critical to its efficacy, which was comparable to other conventional psoriasis therapeutics commonly used in clinical settings. 

Highlighting the impact of their study, Dr. Kim says “HA-NPs could provide a potent nano-medicine platform capable of working at low dosages with minimal side effect, exerting synergistic effects against psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases”. However, the researchers acknowledge that further validation is required because these experiments were conducted on mice and may not accurately reflect the conditions of a human body.

Nonetheless, novel psoriasis treatments such as this one may help to reduce the social distress caused by exclusion, discrimination, and stigma that people with psoriasis and other skin disorders face on a regular basis.

Reference

*Corresponding author’s email: wookkim21@ajou.ac.kr; ehkim01@ajou.ac.kr

About Ajou University

Founded in 1973, Ajou University has quickly grown to become one of the top universities in the Republic of Korea. With over 15,000 students and 50 research centers in diverse fields, Ajou University partakes in the largest national research and graduate education project funded by the Korean Ministry of Education. In line with its recently reformed vision, Ajou University’s goal is to change society by connecting minds and carrying out high-impact research to improve the welfare of people in and outside Korea. 

Website: https://www.ajou.ac.kr/en/index.do

About Professor Wook Kim

Professor Wook Kim is a full-time Professor at the Department of Molecular Science and Technology at Ajou University, Republic of Korea. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in 2006 under the guidance of Prof. Woo Keun Song. Before coming to Ajou University, he completed his postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Health (NIH), USA. His main research interests are identifying the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases and developing therapeutic agents to treat these diseases.

About Dr. Eunha Kim

Dr. Eunha Kim is an Associate Professor of Department of Molecular Science and Technology at Ajou University. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry at Seoul National University in 2011 under guidance of Prof. Seung Bum Park. After postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School guidance with Prof. Ralph Weissleder, he began his academic career in 2015 in the Department of Molecular Science and Technology at Ajou University in Suwon. His research integrates chemistry and biology to illuminate biology and enable next-generation diagnostic tools and therapeutics.