Researchers have uncovered a new treatment that may be able to reduce vascular lesions caused by atherosclerosis, sharing their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The treatment in question, a nanoparticle that delivers a miR-92a inhibitor directly to inflamed blood vessel cells, was successfully tested in mice. Could it be effective with humans as well?
“We are really enthusiastic about this technology,” co-author Matthew Tirrell, PhD, dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, said in a prepared statement. “It directly targets the site of the inflammation and could have implications in a variety of vascular disorders.”
The group's nanoparticle uses a peptide to target the vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) found in high levels in inflamed endothelial cells. VCAM-1 levels remain lower in healthy cells, helping the nanoparticle distinguish between the two.
When the peptide finds the molecule, it then delivers the miR-92a inhibitor directly to the damaged cells.
In addition to reducing the size of the vascular lesions in mice models, the treatment was also able to inhibit stenosis.
“That means this nanoparticle could be used during treatments like angioplasty or the insertion of a stent, improving outcomes of those procedures and reducing the chance of stenosis,” Tirrell said.
The nanoparticle could also be used to treat patients who develop complications from vascular disease, according to the statement. Next, the team plans on continuing their research and hopefully transitioning to human trials.
“Almost all vascular disorders are associated with this inflammation, so this treatment could be used toward a wide range of diseases,” added co-author Yun Fang, PhD, a professor in the biological sciences division at the University of Chicago.
The full analysis is available here.