Pac-man nanoparticles are obtained which, introduced into the blood vessels, devour the plaques responsible for atherosclerosis. Described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, they were created by the group of the American State University of Michigan coordinated by Bryan Smith, in collaboration with Stanford University.
The nanoparticles, for which a patent application is pending, are made up of carbon nanotubes containing drugs. The molecules released by the nanoparticles, explain the authors of the study, act by stimulating the activity of some types of scavenger cells in the body, such as macrophages and monocytes, which then devour parts of the plaques.
“In this way - explains Smith - macrophages can be rejuvenated and plaque size reduced. The goal - he concludes - is to develop clinical trials to verify their effectiveness in limiting the risk of heart attacks, minimizing side effects, thanks to the high selectivity of the nanoparticles ".