Nanomedicine against blood clots
Scientists have presented a new strategy for the treatment of thrombosis without complications
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
The new approach can provide universal treatment for both arterial and venous thrombosis, the scientists said. They demonstrated that the nanoparticles they developed target a universal target and prevent the risks of bleeding.
Currently, doctors separate arterial and venous thrombosis and apply various treatment strategies. Thus, arterial thrombosis, which causes a heart attack or stroke, is treated with antiplatelet agents, and venous thrombosis is treated with anticoagulants. Meanwhile, recent studies show that there are common features of both conditions that can potentially be used as new therapeutic targets.
In a new study, a team from the United States showed that neutrophils involved in both arterial and venous thrombosis are such a target. Experiments have demonstrated that overactive neutrophils increase the production of key factors that subsequently become the "building blocks" of blood clots, according to the website of the Cleveland Medical Center.
To stop this blood clot formation process, scientists identified a group of receptors unique to overactive neutrophils and developed antibody-coated nanoparticles to target them. Such a targeted effect does not reduce the function of ordinary neutrophils, which play an important role in the function of innate immunity, the authors specify.
"We have shown for the first time that overactive neutrophils are key factors of arterial and venous thrombosis. Targeting them does not increase the risk of bleeding and reduces the risk of thrombosis," commented the author of the work Lalita Nayak.
In the future, according to the researchers, this approach will provide a safe way to treat and prevent thrombosis in millions of patients. Further studies will also include the study of thrombosis in the body affected by cancer, since blood clots are very common complications in various types of tumors.
Article by Nayak et al. A targetable pathway in neutrophils mitigates both arterial and venous thrombosis is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine – VM.
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