A Biomimetic PLK1 Nanodelivery System Promotes Migrasome‐Mediated Mitocytosis to Restore Efferocytosis and Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Excessive accumulation and insufficient clearance of apoptotic cells following spinal cord injury (SCI) are key factors contributing to persistent injury. Macrophage efferocytosis is essential for resolving injury but is compromised by mitochondrial dysfunction and lysosomal overload. Maintaining mitochondrial functional homeostasis is therefore crucial for preserving the acidic lysosomal environment, alleviating the cellular lysosomal burden, and sustaining efferocytosis. Common mitochondrial quality control (MQC) pathways such as mitophagy increase the lysosomal burden. Here, we investigated how polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) regulates macrophage efferocytosis and elucidated the underlying mechanism of migrasome-mediated mitocytosis. We demonstrate that PLK1 regulates TSPAN4-dependent migrasome formation, which drives the selective extrusion of damaged mitochondria, alleviates the lysosomal burden, and increases efferocytic capacity. To enable targeted PLK1 delivery, we engineered macrophage membrane-coated, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanocomplexes encapsulating PLK1 plasmids (MM-NPs@PLK1). This biomimetic nanoplatform preferentially accumulates in the injured spinal cord, promotes macrophage-associated PLK1 delivery, enhances mitocytosis and efferocytosis, supports neural tissue repair, and significantly improves locomotor recovery in SCI mice. In summary, our study reveals a PLK1-regulated MQC mechanism that sustains macrophage efferocytosis through migrasome-mediated mitocytosis, providing a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-10-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.78367
Primary Topic
Spinal Cord Injury Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

A Biomimetic PLK1 Nanodelivery System Promotes Migrasome‐Mediated Mitocytosis to Restore Efferocytosis and Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Da He, Qingqing Wang, Jialong Hou, Pengcheng Qiu et al.
Advanced Science
Spinal Cord Injury Research
article

A Biomimetic PLK1 Nanodelivery System Promotes Migrasome‐Mediated Mitocytosis to Restore Efferocytosis and Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Da He, Qingqing Wang, Jialong Hou, Pengcheng Qiu, Hongyu Zhang, Hao Hu, Haoli Wang, Junhua Zhou, Na Li, Huixin Tan, Jing Huang, Yining Wang, Hanwei Miao, Zhenxin Hu
article en

Abstract

Excessive accumulation and insufficient clearance of apoptotic cells following spinal cord injury (SCI) are key factors contributing to persistent injury. Macrophage efferocytosis is essential for resolving injury but is compromised by mitochondrial dysfunction and lysosomal overload. Maintaining mitochondrial functional homeostasis is therefore crucial for preserving the acidic lysosomal environment, alleviating the cellular lysosomal burden, and sustaining efferocytosis. Common mitochondrial quality control (MQC) pathways such as mitophagy increase the lysosomal burden. Here, we investigated how polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) regulates macrophage efferocytosis and elucidated the underlying mechanism of migrasome-mediated mitocytosis. We demonstrate that PLK1 regulates TSPAN4-dependent migrasome formation, which drives the selective extrusion of damaged mitochondria, alleviates the lysosomal burden, and increases efferocytic capacity. To enable targeted PLK1 delivery, we engineered macrophage membrane-coated, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanocomplexes encapsulating PLK1 plasmids (MM-NPs@PLK1). This biomimetic nanoplatform preferentially accumulates in the injured spinal cord, promotes macrophage-associated PLK1 delivery, enhances mitocytosis and efferocytosis, supports neural tissue repair, and significantly improves locomotor recovery in SCI mice. In summary, our study reveals a PLK1-regulated MQC mechanism that sustains macrophage efferocytosis through migrasome-mediated mitocytosis, providing a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI.

Advanced Science
Capital Medical University (CN), Peking University (CN), Wenzhou Medical University (CN), First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (CN), Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (CN), Beijing Jishuitan Hospital (CN), Zhejiang University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Spinal Cord Injury Research
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