Injection of nanoparticles and plaque in arteries
One of the leading causes of death is a problem with the cardiovascular system. But long before the moment of death, the problem with blood flow significantly poisons life, reducing cognitive abilities and eroding the body’s overall endurance. New nanoparticles are designed to improve the condition of the body.
I often write about how important it is to coordinate the work of the brain and the body. As factors affecting blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, hormones and neurotransmitters affect not only the physical qualities of strength/endurance, but also directly affect concentration and cognitive abilities. Where am I writing about this? In community materials. Drop by, you might like it, maybe you won’t.
Nanobots, plaques, death
Plaques that stick to the walls of blood vessels most often lead to heart attacks and strokes. New Nanoparticle Infusion Therapy Safely Destroys These Plaques during testing on pigs. And all due to the influence of nanoparticles and immune cells.
Excess fats and low-density lipoproteins accumulate over time in the form of plaques on the walls of the arteries, which can thicken due to a host of unfavorable factors: from disrupted hormonal balance to a chronically unhealthy lifestyle. This in turn causes a blockage of the vessel or an inflammatory response known as atherosclerosis. Both scenarios result in heart attacks and strokes.
The scary thing is not that a person is mortal. It's scary that he suddenly died. Since plaque does not necessarily block most of the artery, a person can live a relatively normal life. But a sudden rupture can unpredictably and completely block blood flow. And such a heart attack supposedly appears out of nowhere.
Brian Smith, co-author of the study.
The problem of plaques and the decline of immunity
Part of the problem with atherosclerosis is that dead cells in vascular tissue are not cleared away properly by immune cells, leading to additional damage in the arteries. The problem is that dead cells produce a molecule called CD47, which signals the immune cells “don’t eat me.” Previous studies have shown that blocking CD47 allows immune cells to effectively remove dead cells, but unfortunately, the immune system begins to attack red blood cells, leading to anemia as a side effect.
For the new study, the team used CD47-blocking nanoparticles that target monocytes and macrophages, two types immune cellswhich are associated with suppression of inflammation associated with plaques. And, of course, in tests on pigs, the therapy suppressed atherosclerosis as effectively as previous drugs, but without any damage to blood cells.
Using PET scanning, we were able to measure the effectiveness of the therapy in the arteries of pigs. We have shown in animal models such as pigs that we can reduce inflammation based not only on this clinically used PET imaging technique, but also on molecular analyses. Just as important, we saw none of the side effects that would be expected if the therapy was not precisely targeted.
Brian Smith, co-author of the study.
Tests on pigs show that nanoparticles can be produced on a large enough scale to work in humans. And the method itself is promising enough to move on to human trials.
Well, perhaps in the near future atherosclerosis will be treated in much the same way as a modern cold. More news and materials on the cutting edge of science – you will find in our community. Subscribe so you don't miss the latest articles!
