Researchers at the University of Kansas have created a combination of lasers and ultrasound that “vaporizes” cholesterol plaques in arteries. The team estimates that, thanks to its ability to remove rather than compress the fatty deposits that line the arteries due to atherosclerosis, this technology will also be able to prevent arterial plaques from reforming.
The causes and treatment options for blocked arteries
When people lead an unhealthy lifestyle (overeating or lack of exercise) fatty deposits can form plaques in the inner walls of the arteries, causing atherosclerosis. Arterial plaques contain cholesterol, cellular waste, calcium, and a blood coagulant known as fibrin.
They cause all kinds of damage, and being asymptomatic in the early stages could take them by surprise with chest pain, breathlessness, coronary heart disease and even ictus o infarct.
Today, no treatment can reverse the narrowing of the arteries. You can only prevent it from getting worse with drugs and/or by changing your lifestyle. When the arterial plaques have done too much damage, however, the only option is surgery: a "balloon" is applied to expand the artery and compress the plaque. A remedy that often causes relapses, because that "compressed" part of the arterial plaques attracts new fat deposits.
Arterial plaques, a laser to pulverize them
Among the procedures studied for the removal of arterial plaques, a new technique is called LCM, or Laser Capture Microdissection, capable of vaporizing cholesterol and debris attached to the arterial walls in atherosclerosis. A technique which, however, presented problems because the use of a powerful laser was not without side effects.
The new study led by researchers led by Rohit Singh from the University of Kansas (I link it here) showed a method that combines a low-power laser with ultrasound: and removes arterial plaques safely and efficiently.
The addition of ultrasound somewhat “mitigates” the power required by the laser, and this improves the picture.
How does the new plaque 'vaporizer' work?
The first tests of the device were performed on samples of pork belly fat: this allowed to calibrate lasers and ultrasounds until the optimal parameters were obtained. In the second phase, the scientists worked on plaque samples collected directly from human patients.
The results? The study states that the new system doesn't simply compress arterial plaques - it destroys them. It reduces the rate of restenosis (the re-formation of plaques) compared to other methods, and generally reduces damage to the arteries.
Confirmations are needed on live subjects, of course, but the results of these first two phases really bode well.
