Hyaluronic acid–bilirubin nanomedicine for targeted modulation of dysregulated intestinal barrier, microbiome and immune responses in colitis

While conventional approaches for inflammatory bowel diseases mainly focus on suppressing hyperactive immune responses, it remains unclear how to address disrupted intestinal barriers, dysbiosis of the gut commensal microbiota and dysregulated mucosal immune responses in inflammatory bowel diseases. Moreover, immunosuppressive agents can cause off-target systemic side effects and complications. Here, we report the development of hyaluronic acid–bilirubin nanomedicine (HABN) that accumulates in inflamed colonic epithelium and restores the epithelium barriers in a murine model of acute colitis. Surprisingly, HABN also modulates the gut microbiota, increasing the overall richness and diversity and markedly augmenting the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and Clostridium XIVα, which are microorganisms with crucial roles in gut homeostasis. Importantly, HABN associated with pro-inflammatory macrophages, regulated innate immune responses and exerted potent therapeutic efficacy against colitis. Our work sheds light on the impact of nanotherapeutics on gut homeostasis, microbiome and innate immune responses for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Imbalance of the gut microbiome has been implicated in numerous human diseases. Nanoparticles have now been designed to target colitis by modulating the gut microbiome, local innate immune response and restoration of the intestinal barrier function.