Abstract

Silicosis is a severe lung disease characterized by diffuse pulmonary fibrosis, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Pirfenidone (PFD) shows great antifibrotic potential but is clinically hindered by low bioavailability and gastrointestinal side effects. To address these limitations, this study develops a PFD delivery system (PFD-Exo) using J774A.1 macrophage-derived exosomes. Firstly, PFD is loaded via sonication, then PFD-Exo is characterized using Raman spectral imaging and UV absorption spectroscopy. Finally, in vitro and in vivo silicosis models are established to evaluate its antifibrotic effects. Results show that PFD-Exo outperforms free PFD in inhibiting TGF-β1-induced transdifferentiation of primary lung fibroblasts in vitro. In a mouse model of silicosis, PFD-Exo is found to be accumulated in the lungs following intratracheal administration and significantly ameliorates pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis while minimizing gastrointestinal side effects. Mechanistic studies reveal that PFD-Exo modulates the TGF-β signaling pathway by downregulating SMAD3 and upregulating SMAD7 and NOGGIN. In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence of macrophage-derived exosomes as an effective PFD delivery system for silicosis treatment and offers a promising strategy for other refractory pulmonary diseases.