The inflammation of arteries is a key factor that contributes to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. This arterial inflammation is linked to the accumulation of harmful plaque within the arteries. There is a pressing need for advanced treatments that can specifically address this inflammation in patients. Researchers at Michigan State University have examined a novel nanoparticle nanotherapy infusion designed to precisely target inflammation and stimulate the immune system to assist in eliminating arterial plaque.
“There are two main concerns that people seem to have regarding plaques,” noted Bryan Smith, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at MSU’s Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering. “Many individuals are not fully aware of the differences between them.”
The first concern arises when an artery becomes significantly blocked (for instance, a blockage of 95% to 99%). In such cases, symptoms like chest pain, pressure, nausea, or dizziness often occur beforehand, prompting doctors to insert a stent to improve blood flow. The second concern involves plaques that are highly inflammatory. Such plaques are prone to rupture, potentially leading to blockages in arteries located elsewhere in the body.
“This type is particularly alarming as it is responsible for the majority of heart attacks,” Smith explained. “These plaques may not obstruct much of the artery, but their ruptures can swiftly cause total blockage of blood flow, making the onset of a heart attack seem sudden.”
Smith and his team, including co-first authors Yapei Zhang and Manisha Kumari, have developed nanoparticles—extremely thin materials that are smaller than a human hair—to create a targeted nanotherapy infusion. This innovative therapy specifically seeks out a certain type of immune cell that infiltrates and comprises part of the plaque. These treated immune cells effectively “consume” segments of the plaque core, aiding in its removal from the artery walls and reducing vascular inflammation.
In earlier research, Smith and the Leeper Lab at Stanford University tested this infusion on mice and more recently on pig models in order to validate its effectiveness and ensure its safety due to precise immune targeting.
“With the help of PET [positron-emission tomography] scans, we measured the therapy’s impact on pig arteries,” Smith shared. “We demonstrated in pig models that we could lower inflammation levels in the plaque, employing not only this clinically utilized PET imaging technique but also molecular assays. Importantly, we observed no expected side effects that would arise without the precise targeting of the therapy.”
Whereas previous experiments in mice required hundreds of microliters of the nanotherapy infusion, recent advancements have enabled Smith and his team to achieve significant results in pigs by scaling up production to liters. This increase in volume aligns with amounts suitable for human administration. This research is a crucial milestone towards transitioning to clinical trials aimed at developing safer and more effective cardiovascular therapies.
The findings of this research were recently published in Nature Communications.
