Nanozymes: A novel approach to upgrade atherosclerosis treatment

Atherosclerosis has become a global health concern, contributing to the rise in cardiovascular diseases and causing significant morbidity and disability. The development of atherosclerosis begins with the accumulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the subendothelial space. As LDL becomes trapped in the arterial walls, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated, resulting in oxidative stress, impaired endothelial function, and oxidative modification of the retained LDL, forming oxidized LDL (ox-LDL). The oxidation of LDL to form ox-LDL is considered one of the most important factors in the development of atherosclerosis. Recently, there has been a growing interest in nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics called nanozymes in the field of biomedicine. The use of nanozymes has become increasingly popular because they offer solutions to the limitations associated with natural enzymes, including high costs, low stability, and challenging storage requirements. Nanozymes with anti-oxidative activities, such as catalase-, SOD-, and GPx-like nanozymes, have been extensively studied for various disease therapies, including atherosclerosis. Furthermore, nanozymes can be designed to have multiple enzyme-like activities. In this review, we aim to summarize studies that have used nanozymes as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The results of this study have shown that nanozymes have a significant impact in reducing atherosclerotic plaques in ApoE- /- mice. This effect is mainly achieved through ROS scavenging, which leads to the suppression of foam cell formation and inflammation.