Heart related diseases have been one of the biggest causes of human death. Such problems can arise due to several causes. Ranging from fat build up to failure of other hormones and blood vessels, there are many things that potentially lead to developing heart disease. And although all such issues are obvious red flags, plaque buildup has always been one of the chief causes of the disease. So, to tackle this dreaded condition, researchers from the Michigan State and Stanford University have made some positive advancement that could potentially be an effective fix. 

The researchers basically created a “trojan horse” nanoparticle that can be directed to eat debris and essentially help in stabilizing plaque. This method is thought to be a potential treatment for atherosclerosis. By targeting such plaque due to its high selectivity to a particular immune type cell (monocyte and macrophages) this method can easily destroy pesky plaques. 

When it enters its target, it releases a drug that engulfs and eats the cellular debris thereby removing dead cells from the plaques’ core. The researchers’ study focused on intercepting the signaling of receptors in the macrophages and sending a message using Nano immunotherapeutic platforms. Moreover, since this new method works intracellularly, it is very effective in stimulating macrophages. 

This discovery could be a game changer. Inflammatory cells are precursor cells to atherosclerosis. Since this method effectively eats such cells, they could be a revolutionary new treatment for heart attacks. Additionally, the researchers also say that it can be extended to have further applications with further studies and experiments. This not only makes it a cure for heart attack but also bigger asset for humankind.