Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles As A Novel Therapeutic For Atherosclerosis Plaque Reduction

Author: Abdelrahman Mohamed Adel and Ahmed Walid

Abstract

Artery blockage, also known as atherosclerosis, is among the deadliest diseases that threatens our world. It is responsible for the death of almost 17.8 million lives annually making it the leading killer worldwide (Di Cesare et al., 2024). It is caused by the buildup of plaques due to the accumulation of a mixture of fats, cholesterol, and other substances on the inner walls of arteries, limiting blood flow due to an unhealthy diet or genetic disorders like the Familial hypercholesterolemia. Traditional treatments for Atherosclerosis involve invasive surgical procedures, such as angioplasty. Although these treatments are effective in removing the plaques blocking the arteries, they are expensive and have significant risks, including infection, damage to blood vessels, and bleeding. Our solution to this issue takes advantage of the paramagnetic properties of the iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) for a non-invasive and safer approach to treating artery blockages. Strong magnetic responsiveness is one of the special qualities of iron oxide nanoparticles that allow for accurate drug delivery (Hossaini Nasr & Huang, 2021). These nanoparticles will be coated with polymers like polyethylene glycol (PEG) and chitosan and loaded with enzymes like lipase that can degrading lipids like triglycerides and converting the LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol in the arteries. After the preparation of the treatment material, an in vivo study was performed to check the efficiency of the nanoparticles. The results of the in vivo study showed that the treatment managed to reduce 50% of the triglycerides in the bloodstream and 23% of the LDL cholesterol. These results show that using IONPS as a novel therapeutic for Atherosclerosis plaque reduction can effectively target and degrade plaques without the need for surgery, significantly improving the safety and efficiency of the treatment.

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