Michigan State University and Stanford University scientists have
invented a nanoparticle that eats away — from the inside out — portions of
plaques that cause heart attacks.
Bryan Smith,
associate professor of biomedical engineering at MSU, and a team of scientists
created a “Trojan Horse” nanoparticle that can be directed to eat debris,
reducing and stabilizing plaque. The discovery could be a potential treatment
for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death in the United States.
The results, published in the current issue of Nature
Nanotechnology, showcases the nanoparticle that homes in on
atherosclerotic plaque due to its high selectivity to a particular immune cell
type — monocytes and macrophages. Once inside the macrophages in those plaques,
it delivers a drug agent that stimulates the cell to engulf and eat cellular
debris. Basically, it removes the diseased/dead cells in the plaque core. By
reinvigorating the macrophages, plaque size is reduced and stabilized.
Smith said that
future clinical trials on the nanoparticle are expected to reduce the risk of
most types of heart attacks, with minimal side effects due to the unprecedented
selectivity of the nanodrug.
Smith’s studies
focus on intercepting the signaling of the receptors in the macrophages and
sending a message via small molecules using nano-immunotherapeutic platforms.
Previous studies have acted on the surface of the cells, but this new approach
works intracellularly and has been effective in stimulating macrophages.
“We found we
could stimulate the macrophages to selectively eat dead and dying cells — these
inflammatory cells are precursor cells to atherosclerosis — that are part of
the cause of heart attacks,” Smith said. “We could deliver a small molecule
inside the macrophages to tell them to begin eating again.”
This approach
also has applications beyond atherosclerosis, he added.
“We were able to
marry a groundbreaking finding in atherosclerosis by our collaborators with the
state-of-the-art selectivity and delivery capabilities of our advanced nanomaterial
platform. We demonstrated the nanomaterials were able to selectively seek out
and deliver a message to the very cells needed,” Smith said. “It gives a
particular energy to our future work, which will include clinical translation
of these nanomaterials using large animal models and human tissue tests. We
believe it is better than previous methods.”
Smith has filed
a provisional patent and will begin marketing it later this year.
Source: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/nanoparticle-chomps-away-plaques-that-cause-heart-attacks/
Journal article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-019-0619-3
Source: https://myfusimotors.com/2020/02/02/nanoparticle-chomps-away-plaques-that-cause-heart-attacks/
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