A “hungry” nanoparticle entering your body and eating your internal waste almost sounds like a nightmare out of a Dick novel, but it could be a future defense. As crazy as it sounds, it could be foolproof against heart attacks, strokes and other deadly diseases.
Developed by scientists at Michigan State and Stanford universities, the innovative nanoparticle called “Trojan Horse” (a name borrowed more from the world of computer viruses than mythology) works by nibbling portions of the plaques responsible for heart attacks.
To better represent the concept, researchers recently demonstrated that the specially developed nanoparticle is able to precisely adapt to the plaque responsible for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death.
“The nanotherapy enters inflammatory monocytes (a type of white blood cell) in the blood and delivers them into plaque where they become macrophages that devour cellular debris,” he said Bryan Smith, associate professor of biomedical engineering at MSU.
Trojan Horse: the nanoparticle stabilizes the plaque with minimal side effects.
And they do not just provide great support to those who risk a heart attack: the nanoparticle is already potentially revolutionary and can be used in many other applications (of the nanomachines I spoke here in December).
“You might ask: can it cure cancer?”, He said Smith. “We think so. However, such other diseases require much more research. This strategy improves existing treatments due to its selectivity. The nanoparticle is exquisitely selective towards inflammatory monocytes and macrophages, which allows it to reduce side effects that may be associated with other treatments. “
The human test has not yet started
So far, researchers have demonstrated effectiveness in a culture dish and in two types of mice that developed atherosclerosis.
They next plan to test large animal models and human tissue, as well as examine how their nanoparticle works to “lead” other treatments.
It can also function as a diagnostic tool
The team also explores how the nanoparticle could be used as a diagnostic imaging tool, highlighting particular cells.
The article describing the interesting study was recently published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Devour it!
