Chronic
lead poisoning has become a major factor in global public health.
Chelation therapy is usually used to manage
lead poisoning.
Dimercaptosuccinic acid (
DMSA) is a widely used
heavy metal chelation agent. However,
DMSA has the characteristics of poor water solubility, low oral bioavailability, and short half-life, which limit its clinical application. Herein, a long-cycle slow-release nanodrug delivery system was constructed. We successfully coated the red blood cell membrane (RBCM) onto the surface of
dimercaptosuccinic acid polylactic acid glycolic acid copolymer (PLGA) nanoparticles (RBCM-
DMSA-NPs), which have a long cycle and detoxification capabilities. The NPs were characterized and observed by particle size meters and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the particle size of RBCM-
DMSA-NPs was approximately 146.66 ± 2.41 nm, and the zeta potential was - 15.34 ± 1.60 mV. The homogeneous spherical shape and clear core-shell structure of the bionic nanoparticles were observed by transmission electron microscopy. In the animal tests, the area under the administration time curve of RBCM-
DMSA-NPs was 156.52 ± 2.63 (mg/L·h), which was 5.21-fold and 2.36-fold that of free
DMSA and
DMSA-NPs, respectively. Furthermore, the median survival of the RBCM-
DMSA-NP treatment group (47 days) was 3.61-fold, 1.32-fold, and 1.16-fold for the
lead poisoning group, free
DMSA, and
DMSA-NP groups, respectively. The RBCM-
DMSA-NP treatment significantly extended the cycle time of the
drug in the body and improved the survival rate of mice with chronic
lead poisoning. Histological analyses showed that RBCM-
DMSA-NPs did not cause significant systemic toxicity. These results indicated that RBCM-
DMSA-NPs could be a potential candidate for long-term chronic lead exposure treatment.