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Scientists in China have developed a potential vaccine to prevent the build-up of plaque in arteries that can lead to blood clots, stroke and heart attacks.
The build-up of fatty plaque in arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The eventual hardening of arteries from inflammation can block the blood flow and lead to a stroke, aneurysm or heart attack.
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, mediated by the body’s innate immunity consisting of natural barriers and enzymes as well as its adaptive systems consisting of antibodies.
Such arterial blockages, once diagnosed via scans, are currently treated with surgical procedures like angioplasty and the use of stents to prevent the blood vessels from clogging up.
It has long been theorised that vaccination could be used to treat or prevent the disease.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications described a vaccine that may mitigate atherosclerosis development in mice.
“Our nanovaccine design and preclinical data present a potential candidate for prophylactic treatment for atherosclerosis,” scientists at Nanjing University of Science and Technology in China wrote.
Previous studies have helped create a digital library of various kinds of proteins that protect against inflammation and boost the body’s immune response to atherosclerosis.
One such protein is called p210. It has been found to trigger an immune response against atherosclerosis progression, and it is what the new vaccine uses.
The vaccine latches the p210 antigen onto tiny iron oxide nanoparticles and attaches an adjuvant – a substance used to enhance the immune response of a vaccine – to a different set of nanoparticles.
The study reports that the “cocktail” design of the vaccine mitigated plaque progression and atherosclerosis development in mice fed a high cholesterol diet.
It worked by helping the body take up the antigen and adjuvant, which then activated the immune system’s star-shaped dendritic cells.
A cascade of changes caused by the vaccine eventually triggered the production of antibodies against p210.
“Our findings demonstrate that the two-pronged nanovaccine delivery strategy is effective against atherosclerosis,” researchers write.
They hope to conduct further studies to understand the duration for which the nanovaccine protects the mice against atherosclerosis.