Targeted treatment of gouty arthritis by biomineralized metallic nanozyme-mediated oxidative stress-mitigating nanotherapy

Gouty arthritis is characterized by chronic deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the joints and other tissues, resulting in the production of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proinflammatory cytokines that intensify synovial inflammation. This condition is mainly associated with inflammatory M1 macrophage activation and oxidative stress production. Hence, gout symptoms can often be resolved by eliminating M1 macrophage activation and scavenging oxidative stress in the inflamed areas. Herein, we developed M1-macrophage-targeting biomineralized metallic nanozymes (FALNZs) that deplete oxidative stress and reduce the M1 macrophage levels to mitigate gouty arthritis. Intra-articular injection of the FALNZs targets inflammatory macrophages and suppresses ROS levels in joints with MSU-crystal-induced arthritis. In addition, the FALNZs alleviate joint swelling, inflammatory cytokine production, and pathological features of the joints. Overall, the proposed therapeutic approach is biocompatible and is an effective ROS scavenger for the treatment of gouty pathogenesis.