Nanometer-sized “drones” that deliver a special type of healing molecule to fat deposits in arteries could become a new way to prevent heart attacks
Nanometer-sized “drones” that deliver a special type of healing molecule to fat deposits in arteries could become a new way to prevent heart attacks caused by atherosclerosis, according to a study in pre-clinical models by scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Columbia University Medical Center. These findings are published in the February 18th online issue of Science Translational Medicine.
Although current treatments have reduced the number of deaths from atherosclerosis-related disease, atherosclerosis remains a dangerous health problem: Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries is the #1 killer of women and men in the U.S., resulting in one out of every four deaths. In the study, targeted biodegradable nano ‘drones’ that delivered a special type of drug that promotes healing (‘resolution’) successfully restructured atherosclerotic plaques in mice to make them more stable. This remodeling of the plaque environment would be predicted in humans to block plaque rupture and thrombosis and thereby prevent heart attacks and strokes.
“This is the first example of a targeted nanoparticle technology that reduces atherosclerosis in an animal model,” said co-senior author Omid Farokhzad, MD, associate professor and director of the Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials at BWH and Harvard Medical School (HMS). “Years of research and collaboration have culminated in our ability to use nanotechnology to resolve inflammation, remodel and stabilize plaques in a model of advanced atherosclerosis.”
In this study, targeted nanomedicines made from polymeric building blocks that are utilized in numerous FDA approved products to date, were nanoengineered to carry an anti-inflammatory drug payload in the form of a biomimetic peptide. Furthermore, this peptide was derived from one of the body’s own natural inflammatory-resolving proteins called Annexin A1. The way the nanomedicines were designed enabled this biological therapeutic to be released at the target site, the atherosclerotic plaque, in a controlled manner.
In mouse models with advanced atherosclerosis, researchers administered nanomedicines and relevant controls. Following five weeks of treatment with the nanomedicines, damage to the arteries was significantly repaired and plaque was stabilized.
Specifically, researchers observed a reduction of reactive oxygen species; increase in collagen, which strengthens the fibrous cap; and reduction of the plaque necrotic core, and these changes were not observed in comparison with the free peptide or empty nanoparticles.
“Many researchers are trying to develop drugs that prevent heart attacks by tamping down inflammation, but that approach has some downsides,” said co-senior author Ira Tabas, MD, Richard J. Stock professor of Medicine (Immunology) and professor of Pathology & Cell Biology at Columbia. “One is that atherosclerosis is a chronic disease, so drugs are taken for years, even decades. An anti-inflammatory drug that is distributed throughout the entire body will also impair the immune system’s ability to fight infection.” That might be acceptable for conditions that severely affect quality of life, like rheumatoid arthritis, but “using this approach to prevent a heart attack that may never happen may not be worth the risk.”
In addition, it’s not enough to deliver an anti-inflammatory drug to the plaques, said Columbia associate research scientist Gabrielle Fredman, PhD, one of the study’s lead co-authors. “Atherosclerosis is not only inflammation; there’s also damage to the arterial wall. If the damage isn’t repaired, you may not prevent heart attacks.”
The targeted nanomedicines used in this current study were engineered by researchers at BWH. Following preliminary proof-of-principle studies at Columbia University in models of inflammation, they were further tested in a clinically relevant disease model in mice and were shown to be capable of maneuvering through the blood circulation, and traversing leaky regions through to the inside of the plaques, as was demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy imaging of the plaque lesions.
Researchers note that in addition to their specific ‘sticky’ surfaces, their small sub-100 nanometer size is also a key property that facilitates the retention and accumulation of these nanoparticles within the plaques. These nanoparticles are 1000 times smaller than the tip of a single human-hair strand.
“These nanomedicines are developed using biodegradable polymers that can break-up over time in the body using the bodies natural mechanisms, and can be nanoengineered using scale-able chemistries and nanotechnologies, which ultimately can facilitate their rapid translation to the clinic,” said co-lead author Nazila Kamaly, PhD, instructor in the Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials at BWH and HMS.
Researchers caution that although plaques in mice look a lot like human plaques, mice do not have heart attacks, so the real test of the nanoparticles will not come until they are tested in humans. “In this study, we’ve shown, for the first time, that a drug that promotes resolution of inflammation and repair is a viable option, when the drug is delivered directly to plaques via nanoparticles,” said Tabas. To be ready for testing in humans, the team plans to fine-tune the nanoparticles to optimize drug delivery and to package them with more potent resolution-inducing drugs. “We think that we can obtain even better delivery to plaques and improve healing more than with the current peptides,” , he said.
Read more: Keeping Atherosclerosis in-check with Novel Targeted Inflammation-Resolving Nanomedicines
The Latest on: Nanodrones
via Google News
The Latest on: Nanodrones
- Private players can use drones for delivery purposes in accordance with Drone Rules, 2021: Centreon August 1, 2022 at 10:26 am
Private players are free to use drones for delivery purposes subject to compliance with Drone Rules 2021 informed Minister of State for Civil Aviation General ...
- Govt has undertaken various steps to make India 'global drone hub' by 2030: Union Minister VK Singh to RSon August 1, 2022 at 5:34 am
The government has undertaken a series of reform measures to make India a global drone hub by 2030, Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Giving a written reply ...
- Centre takes various steps to make India global drone hub by 2030: VK Singh to Rajya Sabhaon August 1, 2022 at 5:23 am
Drone Airspace Map was published on 24 September last year, opening up nearly 90 per cent of Indian airspace as a green zone for drones flying up to 400 feet ...
- Centre moving ahead to make India global drone hub by 2030: VK Singhon August 1, 2022 at 5:00 am
Drone Airspace Map p September 24 last year, opened nearly 90 per cent of Indian airspace as a green zone for drones flying up to 400 feet, said Singh ...
- Small Drones Market to Reach $24.29 Billion, Globally, by 2030 at 13.1% CAGR: Allied Market Researchon July 27, 2022 at 12:46 am
PORTLAND, Ore. , July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Small Drones Market by Size (Nano drones and Micro drones), Type (Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing ...
- Small Drones Market to Reach $24.29 Billion, Globally, by 2030 at 13.1% CAGR: Allied Market Researchon July 27, 2022 at 12:30 am
Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Small Drones Market by Size (Nano drones and Micro drones), Type (Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing), and Application (Commercial, Defense, and ...
- All Operator Skills in Call of Duty: Mobile, rankedon July 21, 2022 at 7:38 am
Get to know these Operator Skills to begin your way to victory. Call of Duty: Mobile was released in 2019 and has been widely known as one of the most popular games to ever exist on mobile platforms.
- Drone Market Analysis Share Size and Growth Demand by 2022-2027on July 4, 2022 at 3:46 am
Jul 04, 2022 (Heraldkeepers) -- Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as "Drone Market Size by Type (Rotary Blade Drones, Fixed Wing Drones, Nano Drones and Hybrid Drones), By ...
- Nano Drones Market Share Of Companies, Product Specifications, Production Value Analysis By 2027on June 15, 2022 at 1:13 am
The higher emphasis on the incorporation of the nano-drones in military bodies and extensive rise in investment in the defense & homeland security Nano Drones Market Size – USD 601.3 million in ...
- What a drone picking up blood samples tells about healthcare in Indiaon April 30, 2022 at 4:56 pm
Licences were done away with for micro and nano drones. Nano drones are unmanned aerial systems weighing upto 250 grams, and micro drones weigh up to 2kg. India's civil aviation ministry says that ...
via Bing News