Nanoparticles to Target Atherosclerotic Plaques

This popular science article takes a look at efforts to develop nanoparticles capable of reducing the size of plaques in blood vessels produced by the processes of atherosclerosis. These plaques narrow and deform blood vessels, ultimately breaking apart to cause blockages and ruptures of blood vessels that are often fatal. Atherosclerosis is caused at root by damaged lipids that enter the circulation and lodge in blood vessel tissue. This is followed by an unfortunate set of self-reinforcing signals sent by cells in the blood vessel wall and then by immune cells that turn up to try to deal with the problem. When immune cells become overwhelmed by ingesting damaged lipids, their destruction produces yet more debris, and plaques consisting of lipids and dead cells grow. Chronic inflammation can also accelerate this process, and aging is characterized by rising levels of inflammation. Treatments like the one profiled in this article do not treat the root causes of the problem, but regardless of success in addressing those root causes, large plaques will still need to be removed in people old enough to have developed them: Careening through the bloodstream, a single nanoparticle is dwarfed by red blood cells whizzing by that are 100 times larger. But when specially designed nanoparticles bump into an atherosclerotic plaque - a fatty clog narrowing a blood vessel - the tiny particles can play an outsized role. They can cling to the plaque and begin to break it down, clear...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs