Chinese researchers say they have developed a “cocktail” nanovaccine to prevent plaque from building up in the arteries – an underlying factor in heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide.
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The team said the experimental vaccine had shown promise in a trial on mice.
It targets a condition known as atherosclerosis that causes a build-up of plaque – a deposit of fatty substances, cholesterol and cellular waste – in the arteries, which can lead to blood clots, stroke and heart attacks.
The nanovaccine was developed by a team of researchers from institutes including the Nanjing University of Science and Technology and the University of Science and Technology of China.
To create it, the team attached either an antigen that triggers an immune response against atherosclerosis or an immune response booster onto tiny iron oxide nanoparticles.
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When the resulting nanovaccine was injected into mice that were fed a high-cholesterol diet, the team found that the immune response triggered was able to reduce the development of atherosclerosis.
“Our findings demonstrate that the two-pronged nanovaccine delivery strategy is effective against atherosclerosis,” the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on March 2.